Love Never Dies
by mayghaen17
Summary: With Katherine back and out for blood, can the Salvatore brothers and Elena survive whatever comes their way, with all of their relationships intact?  My take on what could happen in season two.  Set after "Isobel"
1. Chapter 1

**a/n: Okay, so as a rule, I don't write more than one fic per show/movie/book, etc, however, Damon and Elena are just too easy and perfect to write for! I have a few ideas for this story, but we'll see where it goes. I would especially like to thank Alex Bee for suggesting the plot idea of this story to me. This story won't be as long as my other one, but I can assure you that it will still be an awesome Delena adventure. Now, if only Sept. 9th would hurry up and get here so we can stop speculating on what happened! And as always, thank you to my amazing beta; Zoraya Windwalker :)**

ONE

The atmosphere in Stefan's car was so tense it could have been cut with a knife. My attention was focused on the trees and houses passing us by on the way to my house. I tried to think of anything other than what Isobel had said about Damon, but my mind kept replaying the scene over and over again. I could tell from the way Stefan sat in his seat and gripped both the steering wheel and the gearshift that he was dwelling on it as well. The moment he parked in front of my house, I bolted from my seat just to get away from the tension in the car. I sighed and wiped my palms on my jeans while I waited for him to walk around. We made our way up to the porch in silence and then sat on the bench that was off to the side. I knew we had to talk about it, but neither of us wanted to bring it up.

I sighed again and looked at him. "Thank you for coming with me."

He nodded and placed his hand over mine where it rested on the edge of the bench. "There was no way we were going to let you go see her by yourself." My lips quirked into a half smile which faded instantly when he withdrew his hand and stood up. "I get that you and Damon are friends," he started and focused his gaze on the ground.

"But?" I supplied in a tight voice while I trying to contain my anger.

"When did that happen?"

"We've been over this before Stefan. We bonded while we waited for you to get better. He's not as bad as he used to be. He's different. At least he is around me. He's proven that he won't hurt me before and, for the record, I never thought he would."

"What about what he's done to Bonnie? To Caroline...to me?"

I stood up then, the blood was boiling in my veins. "I didn't say he's a great guy, I just said he's good to me. Is it so wrong that I want to be friends with my boyfriends brother? He's part of your life and as long as I'm in it too, I want to get to know him. It's better than being afraid of him; that I have to watch his every move when I'm at the boarding house in case he might decide that he wants to get back at you one day."

"Elena-"

"I never slept with him Stefan," I interrupted strongly before he could finish his thought. "I'm in love with you, but you're too busy comparing me to Katherine to notice," I stated and strode past him and into the house. I slammed the door and stood with my back to it so that I could rest there. I waited until my breathing had returned to normal and I was sure that I wasn't going to cry before I headed upstairs. I noticed that Jeremy's light was on and I knocked lightly on his door. He opened it and all emotion drained from his face. "Jer, I think we should talk."

"So you can lie to me some more." It wasn't a question and it hurt.

"I don't know where Anna is. If I did-"

"Just like you told me about Vickie? I know you're a damn good liar which makes it hard for me to believe you now."

"Jer-" My heart was racing in my chest at the mention of Vickie's name. He wasn't supposed to remember that.

"Don't worry, I got all of my information from your journal." He took a step back and gave me a judgmental look.

"I'm so sorry Jeremy. You were...It was like telling you Mom and Dad were dead all over again and I couldn't bear to watch you fall back into your drug phase."

"You don't get to call them that," he said tightly and I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes again. "Don't you think you should have asked me if it was okay? I don't care how hurt _you_ felt; it's my life Elena." He took a step back and ran a hand through his hair. "Out."

"Jer-"

"Out!" he shouted and I left without saying another word.

I jumped at the sound of the door slamming behind me and took a deep breath. As I stood there, my breathing became shallower and I felt as though the walls were closing in on me. I hurried down the stairs to grab my purse from the foyer and dug around for my keys while I walked to my car. I didn't even think about where I was going as I drove at a speed well over the limit, but somehow I ended up at the ruins of the original Salvatore house. No sooner had I shut the engine off did my phone ring. I pulled it out to see Stefan's name on the display and let it go to voicemail after returning it to my pocket. I got out of the car, leaving my purse in the front seat, and began the little walk to the site. I rolled my eyes as my phone rang again; this time I didn't even take it out to see who was calling.

Once I saw the ruins, I felt all the emotions of the day beginning to take their toll. My legs grew weak and I began to shake slightly and wrapped my arms around myself while I leaned against one of the thicker trees. I hated that Jeremy was mad at me although I was throughly to blame for his feelings. What I hated even more was that Stefan thought I would cheat on him with Damon; just like Katherine. My arms went up so that my fingers could run through my hair to keep myself from taking my anger out on the trees. My phone rang again and I swore under my breath and pulled it out. Sure enough, it was Stefan again.

"Aren't you going to answer that?" came a familiar voice from behind, causing me to nearly jump out of my skin. I shoved the phone back in my pocket, wiped hastily at my face, and then turned to see Damon. He had a slightly amused look on his face as he stood there, thumbs hooked in his belt loops. "What are you doing here? Trouble in paradise?" he asked and I detected a hint of mockery in his voice.

My lips quirked into a smile but it lasted only a fraction of a second. "Not exactly."

He tilted his head to the side and my eyes went to the ground. "What brought you _here_ out of all the places you could have run to? It's not exactly safe for you to be running around by yourself at night."

My arms wrapped around myself again and I shrugged. "I figured Stefan wouldn't look for me here right away. If he came looking for me at all."

I dared to look up and immediately regretted it. There was an unreadable emotion on his face that disappeared the moment our eyes met. "What did my brother say that would make you hide from him and ignore his calls?"

"It wasn't really what he said, but rather what he _didn't_ say." I looked down again, moving some of the dirt with the toe of my shoe. "Jeremy sure as hell didn't help me feel any better."

"What did he do?" he asked, concern radiating off of him.

It made me look up out of curiosity and the gleam in his eyes made me a little leery on telling him. I took a deep breath and looked up at him. "He told me that he read my journal."

"So he knows everything."

I narrowed my eyes slightly and nodded. "Yeah and he hates me. He didn't say the words, but I know he does."

"You don't-"

"He told me not to call his parents my mom and dad anymore," I said flatly and cleared my throat. "The point is, he knows and I don't want you to erase his memory. Eventually he'll calm down to the point we can talk about it."

"If you say so," Damon said and leaned against one of the stone pillars that hadn't crumbled to the ground yet. I studied him, watching him move the dirt in front of him around with one foot as I had been doing. It made me smile a little, causing my thoughts to drift back to what Isobel had said only a couple of hours ago. I tried to think of a way to bring it up, but failed each and every time. He looked up and caught me staring, a grin spreading instantly on his face as he straightened up. "Why are you dodging Saint Stefan's calls?" he asked.

I shifted uncomfortably; I wasn't ready to have this conversation with him. "He asked me about my friendship with you. About the time we spent together while he was...recuperating."

He shook his head and gave a light laugh. "Oh my darling baby brother is quite stupid when it comes to women." He looked up and shrugged. "To be fair, if it hadn't been for Katherine, he wouldn't be acting jealous or untrusting."

"Jealous?"

"He came home and gave me the 'history will not be repeating itself' speech. That I'm to stay away from you."

I smiled and put my hands in my pockets. "I'm guessing you said something to make it worse."

"Depends on your idea of worse."

"Thanks," I said sarcastically, but smiled anyway.

"I simply told him that I was your friend and would always be there when you need me. What did you tell him?"

"I told him that as long as I'm a part of his life then you'll be a part of mine. You're his family and I don't see anything wrong in wanting to know you."

"That's all you said?" he asked doubtfully.

"Not exactly," I muttered and took a few steps closer to him. "I may have yelled at him for thinking I would play the same game as Katherine did." His eyes were sparkling with laughter as I said that. "I'm just tired of him looking at me and thinking _Katherine, Katherine, Katherine_ when it comes to things like my friendship with you. Am I really that much like her?"

His amusement vanished and was replaced with a seriousness that made me shudder. "He's an idiot. You're nothing like her."

We fell silent, that awkward tension back in the air while we thought of something to say. "Can I ask you something?"

I saw the look of hesitation on his face, but he nodded. "Sure."

"Is the only reason you both stayed in Mystic Falls for this long because of my resemblance to her?"

"It had us both curious, but after spending more than a minute with you, it was obvious that the _only _trait the two of you shared is your looks. If you're asking me if that's why Stefan decided to pursue you, you'll have to ask him."

I took a deep breath and started to pace. "For once, I just wish he would look at me and see _me_ not _her._"

"Like I said, he's an idiot."

"Why didn't you tell me I looked like her?" I asked, stopping suddenly.

He looked taken aback at that question and I smiled at having the ability to catch him off guard. "I wasn't the one dating you."

I smirked, "Meaning you waited for Stefan to do it so I would come running to you?"

He returned my smirk with his signature one and took a step towards me. "It worked didn't it? We ended up in Georgia by ourselves less than a few hours after." He winked and I shook my head, but couldn't help the laugh that escaped my lips. "As I recall, that was the trip where you learned you could trust me because _I_ would never lie to you."

"Have you ever had a friend before me?" I asked, changing the subject before it went too far in the wrong direction.

The sparkle in his eye dimmed and he looked withdrawn as he shook his head. "I had a best friend. We got into trouble together; spent every waking moment by each other's side."

"What happened?" I asked, stepping forward.

"We fell in love with the same woman," he breathed and averted his gaze.

"Oh," was all I could say. I cleared my throat and straightened up. "I should go. It's getting late."

He looked up at the sky and smiled. "Even for a human this time of day is usually considered early."

Before he could stop me, I moved forward to hug him. It took him a moment to put his arms around me gently. "Thank you."

"For what?" he asked.

I pulled away to answer. "For talking to me; letting me vent my anger, and answering my questions. For giving me the device and coming with me to give it to Isobel."

I instantly regretted saying her name, but he said nothing on that particular topic. "You're still breathing, that's all that counts. Goodnight Elena."

"Goodnight Damon," I returned and turned to head back to my car.


	2. Chapter 2

**a/n: alright, chapters 2 and 3 are pretty much a retelling of "Founder's Day" with a few twists here and there. I thought long and hard about skipping them, but it needed to be included so bear with me :) Thanks for the reviews and for adding me to your alerts/favorites!**

TWO

Jeremy ate his breakfast in his room, going out of his way to avoid me without hiding it. Even Jenna caught the tension, but she didn't ask about it. After I helped her clean up, we headed to my room where she helped me get ready for the Founder's Day Court. "I really don't want to do this."

"Go to the celebration or wear the dress?"

"Both," I muttered as I sat on the chair while she did my hair for me. "Stefan and I had a fight last night," I admitted.

"What about?"

"Damon."

She made an O with her lips and moved out of my sight. "Why would he be the center of your argument?"

"The girl that Stefan dated before me was dating Damon at the same time. They knew about it, but it hurt them pretty badly just the same. He's worried that my friendship with Damon might turn into something more."

"Should he be worried?" she asked cautiously.

My eyes dropped to my hands in my lap. "He's constantly flirting with me, but he flirts with everyone. I can't help how Damon feels," I answered.

She stopped briefly, letting my hair cool before she grabbed another chunk to curl. "That didn't exactly answer my question."

"I hated him when he came into town. He was a jerk and he used Caroline," I paused remembering that I couldn't tell her about the Bonnie incident. "He did everything he could to hit on me, to make Stefan jealous and then it just...stopped. He backed off and started being nice. I learned I could trust him when we ended up in Georgia and since then, we've been friends. I'm his only friend," I said that last part quietly and when Jenna stopped, I got to my feet.

She watched me pace, holding the curling iron carefully at her side. "Elena, I hate to say this, but that didn't answer my question either."

I stopped in my tracks and looked at her. "I'm just saying that I trust him. He's my friend and my boyfriend's brother. Nothing more."

"Are you sure about that?"

I opened my mouth to tell her I was a hundred percent sure, but quickly closed it when I realized that might be a lie. "All I know for sure is that if Stefan doesn't drop this jealous act of his, we may not make it as a couple," I said and sat back in the chair.

"You're not going to like what I have to say, but here it is. If you are having feelings for Damon, it would be best to come clean with Stefan now. Even if you don't know what exactly it is, it should still be said. If you wait too long, someone's going to get seriously hurt and the last thing you need is to be the one to drive two brothers apart."

I swallowed thickly at her words. She didn't even know Katherine and she had the situation down. "Like I said, Stefan knows he can trust me. He doesn't exactly trust Damon, but as long as I'm with him, I would never do anything to hurt him. I am nothing like Katherine."

"Is that the ex's name?" she asked and I nodded, but didn't say anything else. Luckily, she got the hint and changed the subject. "At the risk of sounding nosy, what's wrong with you and Jer?"

"Just brother-sister stuff. Nothing important."

"You sure?" she asked, fully aware that I was lying to her.

"I'm sure," I replied and she began talking about her clients while she finished my hair. She continued to complain about a particularly obnoxious couple while she helped me with my make-up and finished when I stepped into the dress. We were standing in front of my full length mirror and once she began to lace the back, I couldn't help but think of the picture I had found in Stefan's room. I really did look like her.

"You are so gorgeous," Jenna breathed and I met her gaze in the mirror. Her eyes were watering, making mine tear up in response. "Your mother would have been so proud of you. Again."

She put her arms around me from behind and smiled at me. "Thanks Jenna. Okay, now I really can't breathe," I said and she began to laugh as she pulled away.

"Welcome to mid nineteenth century fashion. Alright, go, have fun, and put all personal problems aside until the parade is over. Or maybe until tomorrow. Just have fun."

"Sounds like someone wants to come after all," I said and winked at her.

"I do have to work today."

"The whole town is off," I stated as she opened the door for me and picked up my bag that contained a pair of clothes for me to change into after the parade. "How is it that you have to work?"

"I'm showing my oh so wonderful clients a house in Richmond. I'll be back in time for the fireworks and whatnot."

I nodded and made my way to the front door. "Thank you again for helping me."

"You're welcome, now go," she said and shooed me outside.

The drive to the town square was entirely too long. Even with the radio blaring, I still couldn't stop the little voice in my head from nagging at me. Each time I glanced up in the rearview mirror, I thought of that portrait and almost ran a few stops signs and red lights because of it. The worst part was if I was that if even _I_ couldn't help but see Katherine, what would Stefan and Damon think when they got a look at me like this? When I finally found a parking spot, I had somewhat calmed my thoughts down and decided I wasn't going to think about that anymore. I left my duffel bag in the car, tucked my key into my bra, and headed across the crowd of people in their Founder's Day attire to find Stefan. I stopped when I saw him talking to Damon. Damon saw me first since Stefan's back was too me and his expression made Stefan turn around. The look in their eyes was identical and I _knew_ they were reliving the actual Founder's Day, but I was determined not to let it bother me at the moment. I smiled in their direction and gave a small curtsy before heading over to them.

"You look great," Stefan said as he extended his arm to me.

"As always," Damon added and winked at me before Stefan turned to glare at him. "Have fun on the float," he teased and disappeared into the crowd.

"I didn't think he would come to the parade," I said as we walked towards our float.

"Me neither, but he did." He stopped walking and stared at me. "Elena, about last night-"

"Let's not talk about it right now. Let's just act like nothing happened for the parade and then we can talk." He nodded in agreement and we started walking again. I spotted Jeremy in his costume and stopped again. "I'll meet you at the float. I need to talk to Jeremy."

"Alright," he said and leaned in to kiss my cheek before continuing without me.

I hurried to catch up with Jeremy. He glanced my way and kept walking. I grabbed his wrist and pulled him to a stop. "We need to talk."

"No we don't."

"Jeremy, you need to know that-"

"Elena!" he snapped, making me jump. He snatched his wrist away from me in a violent way and stepped back. "Leave me alone will you?"

I watched him walk briskly away and decided against hunting him down. I sighed and looked to my left to see Bonnie. I waved and she returned it with a slightly nervous look on her face. I approached her, smiling wearily. "You okay?"

"I'm fine," she said. We still had a lot of work to do on our friendship. "You look really good."

"Thanks," I said and looked down at my dress again. "I just wanted to thank you again for removing the spell."

"Don't mention it," she said and shifted on her feet. "You're going to be late. Don't keep Caroline waiting."

We both grinned at that and I nodded. "I'll find you later," I promised and hurried through the crowd to find the Mystic Falls Court float. After Stefan helped me up, we took our places and got ready to wave our way through the city.

* * *

After the parade, Caroline and I went to the school where they were letting us store the dresses. We helped each other undress and then changed into our normal clothes. "Much better. I can breathe again," I said as I worked my dress into the garment bag.

Caroline rolled her shoulders and nodded. "I love playing dress up, but Bonnie pulled the strings really tight."

"So did Jenna," I said and laughed as I zipped up the bag and went to the sink to touch up my make-up. "How are Matt and Tyler?" I asked.

She rolled her eyes and came to stand next to me. "I know what Tyler did was wrong, but he won't accept any apologies. It's starting to get really annoying. How are things with Stefan?" She saw my hesitation and her brow shot up. "That good, huh?"

"We're just at a fork in the road."

"Well," she said and set my blush brush on the counter. "You and Stefan are so perfect together it makes me sick. That should count for something."

I shook my head and hugged her. "It does. We'll work it out," I assured her and began throwing my things back into the duffel bag. "I'm leaving everything here and I'll get it on the way home."

"Sounds like a good plan," she said and we brought our things to the gym where everything was being stored.

Caroline and I parted ways once we got outside and I made my way towards the Grill. I headed inside in hopes of seeing Jeremy again, but found Damon instead. "I like you better like this."

"Like what?" I asked, folding my arms across my chest.

"In normal clothes. Don't get me wrong, you looked beautiful in the period dress, but it wasn't you."

I narrowed my eyes and tilted my head to the side, a hint of a smile on my lips. "Was that an insult?"

"It was a compliment. Friends do that you know." He grinned slyly. "Or so I'm told."

I smiled and then looked away for a moment. "Look, about last night."

"What about last night?" he asked in a coy voice as he moved a half step closer and did that flirty look with his eyes.

I let my eyes roll at that and stepped back. "I'm going to tell Stefan where I was and that you were there. I want him to be able to trust me, but you have to stop with the flirting."

He pretended to pout and my eyes picked up movement at a table behind him. It was Jeremy just about to finish his meal. "I promise to stop flirting while Stefan is in earshot."

My eyes met his again and I smiled lightly. "We'll talk more about this later," I said and walked carefully to Jeremy. "Jer, you have to understand that I only did what I did to protect you. I'm sorry a thousand times over. Tell me what I can do to make this right," I demanded.

He looked up at me and then slid out of his chair. "Go to hell Elena," he said bluntly with more than a hint of hate in his voice. With that, he slipped past me and out the door.

I looked up and met Damon's eyes. He straightened when he realized I was looking at him. When my eyes began to water, I looked away and blinked in order for the tears to go away. When I looked back up, Damon was gone. I sat in the chair Jeremy had vacated and put my head in my hands, trying my hardest not to cry. I took deep, even breaths to make the ache in my heart dull for a moment and jumped when a hand touched my shoulder. I looked up to see Stefan who slid into the seat opposite me. "I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"Jeremy. Damon caught up to him outside. I think we may have gotten through to him. I told him I was the one that killed Vickie."

I let that sink in before I spoke again. "After our fight, I went to apologize to him and it made it worse. He told me that he read my journal and..." my voice began to break again. "He doesn't think of me as a sister anymore," I finished quietly.

His hand came across the table to cover mine, his thumb absently stroking at my skin. "Is that why you didn't answer my calls?"

I shook my head. "After he kicked me out of his room, I drove to the ruins of your old house. I was going to answer you once I got there, but Damon showed up and we talked for a bit."

He withdrew his hand and all the sadness I was feeling turned to anger in an instant by that action. "You were with Damon."

"Seriously?" I hissed and stood up. I turned and walked out of the Grill. I knew he was following me and I led us to the least crowded section I could find. "I didn't plan on meeting him and he was surprised to see me there."

"Why didn't you say something earlier? Or call me back to let me know that you were alright?"

"Because I didn't want to talk to you last night, for one. Damon and I just talked. See, this is exactly what I'm talking about. I tell you I'm with Damon and you jump to conclusions. I'm sorry that Katherine came between you two, but I am not her and you can't seem to grasp that."

"I trust you, I just don't trust him."

"That shouldn't matter Stefan. I have a say in what goes on in my life. Damon is not going to force himself on me and you know it. Isobel said what she did to drive a wedge between us and apparently it's working. I can't control how Damon feels and he is entitled to feel however he wants to. That's not going to change how I feel for you."

"Elena, he's still angry with me for turning with him; for making him turn without Katherine around. I still think that he's biding his time until he can get you."

"Then let him scheme!" I snapped. "The only way anything would happen between Damon and me is if I let it." I took a step back and ran a hand through my hair. "I think we should take a break."

"Elena-" he began with worry and hurt laced in his voice.

"I need you to trust me. Until I know that you can, I don't see us going any further than this. I love you Stefan, that's not changing, but I just think we should take some time apart from each other."

He shook his head and gathered my hands in his, clutching them to his chest. "No, absolutely not. I trust you, I really do. I mean that with all my heart."

I couldn't resist the urge to smile at that one. "Technically, you don't have one of those," I said softly in a teasing sort of way.

"It's there, it just doesn't function." He grinned back at me and brought his lips gently down to mine. "I know I'm turning into a jealous boyfriend, but I can't seem to stop it."

"Stefan, I'm never going to lie to you or keep things from you when it comes to Damon. Neither will I do that with anything else, but especially not where he's concerned. I know Katherine broke your heart, but I am not her and I never will be."

"I love you."

"I love you too," I breathed and he kissed me deeply this time. When I pulled back, I put my hands on my hips and narrowed my eyes at him. "However, if I sense that you really can't trust me when it comes to my friendship with your brother, we really will be on a break."

He nodded and put his arm around my shoulders. "I will try," he said.

"That's all I ask." With that, we headed out into the crowd to participate in the various activities set up around town while we waited for the night time celebrations to start.


	3. Chapter 3

THREE

By the time the sun set, the town square was packed with people. The fireworks were going to start in about fifteen minutes and trying to find a good spot to watch them was becoming a challenge. "What was it like during the first celebration?" I asked Stefan while we continued walking around.

"Nothing like this, that's for sure. There was a gathering of people, but the town wasn't that big back then. We had fireworks although they weren't as good as the displays that are set up now."

I laughed at the thought of fireworks a hundred and fifty years ago. "I can imagine."

"What's really weird is that the town has nearly tripled in size and yet everyone's doing the same thing. The parade is new."

I smiled again and then stopped. "Awkward question, but I've been dying to ask it. Who took Katherine to the Miss Mystic Falls dance?"

"It was supposed to be Damon, but at the last minute, she chose me. I never did understand why because they had everything worked out between them and when the time came, she pulled me out on the dance floor."

"Maybe he did something she didn't like. Girls like that like to dole out petty punishments."

He grinned and leaned in to kiss me. "I wouldn't ask him about it if I were you," he breathed and then we started walking again.

We finally found a bench on the edge of the crowd and we sat down. "There's something else you're not telling me."

He nodded and took my hands in his. "It's not what you're thinking, but it is important."

I got a little worried at the hesitation I saw in him. "Stefan, whatever it is, just tell me."

"Damon figured out who your father is."

My blood froze and my heart skipped a beat. "What... how?"

"Something Isobel said to him."

"Who is it?" I asked and from the look on his face, I knew I wasn't going to like this answer.

"John," he breathed.

I stood up abruptly. My breathing was rapid and I felt a little sick. "How is _that_ possible?"

"From what Damon told me, they met when Isobel was fifteen. He was in love with her and they spent the entire summer together. That's why his brother adopted you."

I shook my head and held out my hands to stop him from touching me. "Wait, you think they knew about this?"

"They had to have known Elena. They knew who Isobel was and that she was involved with John."

"He's known all along that I'm his daughter? I really hope Damon is wrong." I let him wrap his arms around me this time. I clung to him and buried my head on his chest. "Should I confront him?"

"You don't have to do anything until you're ready. I just wanted you to know the truth."

"Thank you," I breathed and tightened my hold on him.

"Come on, the fireworks are about to start," he whispered and we started walking again.

Barely two steps later, Damon's arm was slipping through my free one and he walked with us despite the confused stares from Stefan and me. "Just keep walking and listen closely."

"Damon, what's wrong?" Stefan asked.

"Tomb vampires. They're here and they're planning an attack when the fireworks start. They're targeting the founding families."

"How do you know this?" I asked.

"Anna told me," he replied and let go of me. "Stefan, get her out of here now," he added and then disappeared into the crowd.

"Let's-" Stefan started.

"Jeremy's still here!" I hissed. "We have to find him."

Stefan nodded and led me through the sea of bodies while we scanned the crowd for any sign of Jeremy. "He's probably with Anna," he said after a minute of searching and finding nothing. We broke out of the crowd and started walking the opposite direction. "We can check-"

He stopped mid sentence and started clutching his head. "Stefan?"

He dropped to his knees and made a sound of pain that I had never heard from anyone before. "My head," he managed to get out.

I began to look up and saw Alaric approaching us. He hauled Stefan to his feet and motioned for me to support him like he was doing. We headed down a stairwell and sat on the last step. "Alaric, what's going on?"

"The Council activated the weapon and the guards are shooting up anyone who goes down with vervain."

Stefan was withering in pain in my lap and I stroked his back to try and soothe him. I didn't know what else I could do for him. Just as quickly as the strange behavior began, it stopped and Stefan's body relaxed from the lack of tension. "But... I don't understand... Bonnie deactivated the device."

"Maybe not."

"We saw her do it," I argued as Stefan sat up straight.

"We saw her do something, but think about it Elena. You asked her to take a spell off a device that would be harmful to vampires."

"To protect you."

"And Damon," he pointed out.

I stood up at that and felt my heart rate increase. "Where is Damon?"

Stefan turned his head sideways, a concentrated look on his face, as if he were listening to something. Then he looked back at me. "Your family's old building," he said confidently.

Alaric nodded in agreement. "That's where they were taking everyone."

"Let's go," I said and Stefan got to his feet. "Will you find Jeremy and bring him home?" I asked Alaric.

"Of course."

"Thank you," I said and followed Stefan as we rushed to the building.

John was standing outside with two Council members behind him. Stefan sniffed the air and his eyes widened. "The building's on fire. Is there another way in?"

"The utility door on the side," I answered and pointed.

Stefan took off in a hurry and when I moved to follow him, John grabbed my bicep and held me back. "You're going to stay here or I'm going to tell my two friends that they missed a vampire."

He withdrew his hand and returned my glare. "How could you do this?"

"They're vampires Elena, they deserve to die. What they are; it's unnatural."

"Stefan and Damon are in there."

"It doesn't matter to me."

"As my father it should," I stated and kept my face straight.

His eyes widened and he stepped back. "You know."

"So it _is_ true then," I breathed.

He nodded and then stepped aside. Without another word, I began to run towards the utility door. Bonnie was standing outside of it and stopped me from going inside. "You can't go in there."

"Bonnie, let go!" I shouted and tried to get out of her grasp. "Stefan and Damon are in there. The building is on fire," I hissed and she put her other hand on my arm to tighten her hold even more. She began chanting in a language I had never heard before and I felt the wind around us pick up and tease my hair. "Bonnie, what-" I started and then stopped when I realized she was casting a spell. I looked away from her and into the hallway in hopes of seeing Stefan. The moment Bonnie stopped her chanting, she stepped back and I looked at her. "Bonnie?"

"Everything is okay," she assured me, still in somewhat of a trance.

I turned around when I felt the air shift again and nearly cried with relief at the sight of Stefan and Damon. "We need to get him away from here," Stefan said, supporting his brother.

"Let's go to the Grill," I suggested and was going to ask Bonnie to come, but she was already walking away.

I put Damon's other arm around my shoulders and the three of us strode past John on our way to the restaurant. We found an empty booth and gently eased Damon into one side. I sat next to him and cupped his jaw, turning his face from side to side. He swatted my hand away and narrowed his eyes at me. "I'm fine."

"No you're not. You just got injected with vervain."

"It's starting to wear off," he assured me and looked at Stefan who was sitting across from us. "How did you manage to avoid getting caught?"

"Alaric got to me before the Council."

My phone rang and I got up to answer it. "Elena, it's Alaric. I just dropped your brother off at home."

"Thank you for doing that," I breathed.

"Did you get Damon?"

"Yes, we did. He's the only one that made it out."

"You're okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. How was Jeremy?"

"I found him in the girl's bathroom at the Grill. They took Anna from him."

I turned to look at Stefan and Damon, my heart sinking into my stomach. "Oh," was all I could say. Yet another girl in Jeremy's life who ended up dead. Stefan and Damon were both giving me the same expression of wanting to know what was upsetting me. "I'll talk to you later," I said and hung up. I made my way back to the table in a daze and slipped into the booth beside Stefan. "Anna's dead isn't she?" I asked quietly, looking at Damon.

There was pain in Damon's eyes as he nodded. "Yeah, she's dead." With that, he slid out of the booth and walked away.

I sighed and leaned against Stefan. "What am I going to tell Jeremy?" I wondered aloud and closed my eyes for a moment.

"I'll go with you when you tell him," he assured me and then watched me quizzically when I got up. "Where are you going?"

"Bathroom," I said and headed off in that direction. While I was washing my hands, I kept my focus on the reflection in the mirror. I was trying to think of the best possible way to tell Jeremy about Anna, but my mind kept wandering back to the fact that Damon had almost been killed with her. I shook my head, rolled my shoulders, and headed back into the restaurant. Stefan was waiting by the table, pacing in front of it.

"So the word is that faulty wiring caused the fire. They're putting it out now and so far they haven't reported any bodies being found."

"How do you know all of this?"

He pointed to his ears and I smirked. "I stepped outside for a moment." The humor on his face vanished as he looked at me. "There's something else you should know."

"I don't think I can take anymore bombshells," I muttered and sat down, looking up at him.

"There was an accident involving Tyler, Matt, and Caroline. They're at the hospital right now."

"Are they okay?" I asked, my heart beginning to race again. At this rate, I was going to have a heart attack tonight.

"All I heard was that the car crashed and they were taken by the paramedics."

I stood up and took a few deep breaths. "I'm going to go get my things and go home to check on Jeremy," I said and pushed past him.

"Do you-"

"No, I'll call you when I get home," I said and headed outside. I knew I was being rude, but the seemingly never ending stream of bad news was beginning to take its toll on me. I turned back at the door to see his face and I knew he understood. By the time I got to the school, I had calmed down just a little. "I'm here to pick up my dress and Caroline Forbes' dress as well," I said to the senior in the gym.

She gave me a strange look and looked down at her clipboard. "Someone already took your dress home."

"How is that possible?"

"I'm not sure, but there's a check next to your name. It means someone else has your dress."

I rubbed my temple and sighed. "Whatever, just give me Caroline's things."

"She didn't-"

"She's in the hospital for crying out loud," I snapped. I was on the verge of a nervous breakdown and this poor girl in front of me didn't deserve to be on the receiving end of it. "I'm sorry, her mother called me and asked me to bring it home with me because she was in an accident," I said, bending the truth a little bit. I figured if the Sheriff asked me to do this, the girl would be more inclined to keep her mouth shut.

She nodded and went to retrieve it. "I'm sorry about your dress. I will bring it up with the girl in charge and we'll call you when we figure out who took it."

"Thank you," I said and made my way back to my car. I placed Caroline's things in the backseat and gave a little cry of frustration when I realized my duffel bag had also been taken. "Just great," I mumbled and slammed the door before getting in behind the wheel. I drove home with the radio blaring. It helped to keep my thoughts clear of the what-if scenarios that wanted to play out in my mind about the fire. I got to my house and called Stefan before getting out of the car.

"Hey, how's Jeremy?"

"I'm sitting in the driveway."

"Why?"

"I'm still not sure what I'm going to say or if I'm going to say anything," I said and got out of the car. I grabbed Caroline's bag and headed for the front porch. I stopped when I realized that the outside light was off. "My things were stolen from the school."

"Everything?"

"Yeah, and no one knows who took it," I said, continuing up to the front door. "I'm going to check on Jeremy and then let Jenna know I'm going to the hospital. Will you meet me there?"

"Sure, half an hour?"

"Sounds good. Love you."

"You too," he replied and I pocketed my phone after I hung up.

I opened the door with my keys and set Caroline's bag down in front of the stairs. "Jeremy, are you still up?" I called out, looking up the stairs. "Jere-" I stopped when I heard a clatter in the kitchen. "Jeremy?" I called out a bit more cautiously and headed in that direction. The moment the scene filled my eyes, my jaw dropped as I looked around in horror.


	4. Chapter 4

**a/n: Okay, my recap is over and it's all me from here on out. None of this will probably happen in season two (judging from the AMAZING preview), but it's still fun to write anyway :) I'm working on ch 15 right now and realized this morning that I completely forgot that they're supposed to still be in school, so for the sake of this story, Founder's Day is a way to kick off summer.**

FOUR

My eyes couldn't stay focused on any certain thing, which made my panic attack come that much faster. My chest heaved as my breathing became ragged and shallow. The fingers on the counter atop a puddle of blood were enough to make my stomach churn. The worst part was the glint that the ring on one of them was giving off. As I averted my eyes, I noticed even more blood coming around the island counter. "No," I whispered to myself, surprised that I still had a voice. "This cannot be happening."

I heard a grunt and somehow made it to the other side of the island. My entire body was trembling to the point that my teeth were chattering as well. My hand flew up to cover my mouth at the sight of John on the tile. There was blood everywhere and it was still flowing from the wound in his chest where a protruding knife handle could be seen. His right hand was bleeding as well since it was missing four digits and with his ring being on the counter, I knew he was dying. "Ring," he croaked and then began choking on blood that was coming from his mouth.

The light bulb clicked on in my head and I looked up at the island behind him. I got to my feet and despite the head rush, made it to the counter. I could only stare at the fingers, wanting so badly to collapse on the ground and throw up. My reaction time was being slowed by shock and I knew if I didn't force myself to move, John would die. I took a deep breath and shut my eyes while I worked the ring off of the severed finger. I knelt by his side again and shuddered as I felt the sickening sensation of his blood soaking my jeans. I reached over to grab his left hand and the moment the ring was on, I sat back against the fridge and shook. The combination of the sight and the smell were beginning to be too much for me. I watched his hand begin to grow new fingers and immediately looked away.

"The knife," came his strangled voice.

I opened my eyes and crawled to him again. I gripped the knife as best as I could and pulled it out. I tossed it away and resumed my sitting position by the fridge. All I could do was stare at my hands. "What the hell happened?" came another familiar voice and I looked up to see Damon walking into the kitchen.

John was sitting up inspecting his now fully healed body while Damon picked me up and held me to him. "She's back," John said, pulling himself to his feet carefully.

Damon tensed to the point where I thought his muscles would snap. "That little bitch," he seethed and held me tighter. His reaction told me everything I needed to know. _Katherine_.

"Damon," I whispered since he was cutting off my air supply.

He loosened his grip and pulled away just enough so that he could inspect me for any damage. "It's my blood she's covered in."

"Where are Jenna and Jeremy?" Damon asked, looking at John.

My eyes widened and I began to shake all over again. "I can't go check on them," John said and pointed to his blood soaked clothes. "I've got her."

I watched Damon leave and felt colder and more alone than I had ever felt before. "Katherine did this to you?" I asked though it came out between sobs.

"Yes."

"How did she get in?" Fear consumed my entire being at the thought of her having entry to my house. "Oh God, Jeremy!" I cried and would have collapsed again if John hadn't caught me.

At that moment, Damon returned to the kitchen with an emotion I did not want to see. "Jeremy tried to kill himself with an overdose."

"What?" John and I hissed at the same time.

"I compelled Jenna to drive him to the hospital rather than call for an ambulance. I just put him in the car for her. She didn't see anything that went on in here and she didn't hear anything either."

That was when Jenna bolted down the stairs with her purse and the front door slammed behind her. Damon took me from John and held me to him as though he were afraid I would disappear on him. "We need to clean this up," I managed to get out.

"We will. Right now, you need to go upstairs and change your clothes," Damon ordered as he ran a hand up and down my back. "Although it wouldn't hurt if you got yourself a new set of clothes too," he said to John.

I sniffled and then pulled away from Damon so I could look at John. "There's still some of Dad's things in Jenna's room," I said and then regretted that. "I guess that would make them my uncle's things."

"He raised you, he's still your father," John said without any emotion.

I snorted and then started crying again. "That's not what Jeremy thinks." With that, Damon picked me up and carried me out of the kitchen and upstairs to my bathroom. When he turned on the light, I saw the empty bottle of pain pills from the accident I had last year and a yellow vial with some dark red liquid in it. I held up the vial and looked at Damon. "Please tell me this isn't what I think it is," I begged and my hand dropped down to my side when he looked down and took it from me.

I turned to look in the mirror and was taken aback at how much blood had gotten on me from the encounter in the kitchen. My jeans were stained from the knee down and my hands were now covered in it as well as a few splatters on both of my forearms. Damon moved to turn the shower on and then came to stand before me. I turned my back to the sink and looked up at him. "Arms up," he demanded.

"Damon-"

"If you don't get the blood off of your skin I'm going to do something we'll both regret," he assured me and I saw the flash of hunger in his eyes.

He wasn't doing this with his normal flare or lust and I knew that he wouldn't take advantage of me in this situation. After a moment's hesitation, I put my arms in the air and he delicately pulled my shirt over my head, balled it up, and let it drop to the floor. I unbuttoned my own jeans, but he was the one to pull them off of me and I stepped out of them. My shins were tinted pink where the blood had seeped through and wrinkled my nose. "That's disgusting."

He moved the shower curtain back and I stepped into the tub. "I'll get you some fresh clothes and leave them on the sink. I'll be downstairs."

"Don't leave!" I hissed in alarm as I clutched at his forearm. His brow arched and heat rose to my cheeks. "That's not what I meant."

"I know what you meant," he said and shrugged. "A man can dream can't he?"

"Damon," I said lightly in a warning tone.

"I'll go get you some clothes and then I'll wait in the hall."

"Thank you," I said and he closed the shower curtain for me. I waited until I heard the door to the bathroom shut before removing the rest of my clothes and tossing them to the other end of the tub. I grabbed the body wash and started scrubbing every inch of my skin rigorously. The events of the day filled my thoughts and it always came down to the sight of my newly discovered father dying at my feet. "Damon?" I called out as I realized something.

"Yes," he said.

I peered out from behind the shower curtain to see him doing the same around the bathroom door. "Why would Jeremy want to commit suicide?"

"To turn," he said in a deadpan voice.

I shook my head and studied him. "No, he would have had..." my voice trailed off as my eyes widened in complete realization. The blood in the vial...

"We'll talk about it when you're...decent," he said, giving the silhouette of my body a once over.

I made a face and he smirked in return before returning to the hallway. I finished rinsing off and decided to skip washing my hair before turning the water off. I grabbed the towel from the hook next to the shower and stepped out onto the rug. I did a quick towel dry and then stepped into the fresh clothes that Damon had laid on the counter for me. I opened the door and he pulled me into my bedroom before I could say anything. "You came here to tell Jeremy about Anna didn't you?"

"I came here to apologize to him for erasing Vickie's death from his memories. I offered to do it again; make him forget about Anna, that he loved her and lost her, but he declined. He asked me if it was easier to be a vampire since we can shut off our humanity."

I had gone to my dresser to brush my hair and put it up in a messy ponytail. "And?"

"And I guess he took it to heart. I didn't know he was going to do that or I would have stuck around. At least taken the blood from him."

I turned to look at him and then noticed that my garment and duffel bag lay across my bed. "She's the one who stole my things," I breathed and shuddered. "She was there during the celebration at some point." Damon raked a hand through his hair and shifted. I caught the movement from the corner of my eye and turned to look at him. "Did you see her?"

He stared at me; his emotions raw on his face. "I thought she was you."

"What?" I asked since his words were so quiet I thought I misunderstood him.

"She was coming to the door when I was leaving and I thought she was you." He shook his head and touched his lips. His eyes dropped down to my throat where the necklace was. "I should have noticed that you weren't wearing that damn thing."

"So who let her in?" I asked.

All the color drained from his face at that moment. "Jenna," he breathed and his fists clenched at his sides. "Jenna opened the door and interrupted us. She demanded that _you_ get inside and inside _you_ went." He began cursing in what I assumed was Italian.

"Interrupted you from what?" I asked cautiously.

He stopped muttering under his breath and looked at me. "There's something you should know about John."

"Stefan already told me he's my real father."

He shook his head. "I figured, but it's in relation to Anna."

My heart sank and I realized that John and Damon being in the same vicinity probably wasn't the best idea. John had almost killed him a few hours ago. "What did he do?" I breathed.

"After his minions poured gasoline around the room, he staked Anna. I remember lying there helplessly, wanting so badly to get up and protect her, but I couldn't because of the vervain."

The hurt in his eyes was too much to bear. I took a deep breath and squared my shoulders. "John killed her."

He nodded and I bolted from the room. "Elena!" he called and then came after me.

I found John in the kitchen already beginning to clean up, starting with the island. I lunged for him and punched him in the face with everything that I had. Damon stopped in his tracks as he watched John stumble back. My hand was throbbing, but the blood coming from his nose was worth it. "Jeremy is in the hospital because of you!" I shouted.

He looked from me to Damon, wiping the blood from his nose. "Vampires are harmful creatures Elena. Your parents spent their lives-"

"Don't you dare talk about them. My real mother is a vampire and my real father tried to kill two people that I care about very much. He even killed the one girl that his nephew was in love with. He might be dead because of you!" I spat and moved forward.

"You can't trust vampires," he scolded as he looked to Damon over my shoulder.

I grabbed his hand and took the ring off of his finger. "Like humans are any better with lying and scheming. I'm giving this to Jeremy. You are going to clean up your mess and then get the hell out of my house."

"Elena-" he started and moved for me as I walked away.

Damon, in full vampire mode, placed himself between us and bared his fangs to John. After we were sure he wasn't going to do anything, the two of us headed outside to my car. I patted my pockets and sighed when I realized my keys were in my other pants. "My keys are-"

"Right here," he said and held them up proudly. "I took them before we came down."

I put John's ring on my finger and opened the passenger side door. The throbbing in my hand stopped and I felt a little bit calmer. "Maybe this will set things right between Jeremy and me."

"Depends on what else goes wrong tonight," he said flatly as he backed out of the driveway.

"Gee, thanks," I said sarcastically and cursed when I realized I didn't have my phone. Luckily, I remembered that Stefan said he would meet me at the hospital anyway. I sank into my seat and put my head on the window. I didn't feel like talking anymore even though I had a thousand questions to ask Damon. He seemed to pick up on my need for silence and turned the radio on quietly so it would be less awkward in the car.

I adjusted my head so I could look at him when I felt his hand slide over mine. "Jeremy will be okay," he assured me. Apparently, he didn't know I didn't want to talk.

"Thank you," I breathed and was glad when he didn't remove his hand.

"And if I were you, I would keep that ring after he heals." I nodded and felt my smile fading at the thought of Katherine being back in town. There were so many worse things that were going to happen and they were going to happen soon. The rest of the ride to the hospital was done in silence, save for the radio, and Damon's occasional squeeze of my hand as a way to reassure me that he was still there.


	5. Chapter 5

**a/n: I pretty much repeated Damon's speech because it was perfect the first time and I didn't see the need to mess with it. It's not exactly the scene on the porch, but this time it really is Delena :)**

FIVE

After we parked, we walked into the waiting room of the hospital. Matt and Stefan both stood the moment Damon and I arrived. I wasn't expecting to see Matt, but then again, I shouldn't have been surprised. He and Caroline were together. Stefan's eyes went from me to Damon as I went to Matt and put my arms around him. "How is she?"

"Her mom said she was in surgery. I haven't heard anything since," he said and stepped back. "We heard something about Jeremy."

I nodded and wiped away the tear that rolled down my cheek. "He tried to kill himself," I said and then cleared my throat. "Have you seen Jenna?"

Stefan shook his head and pulled me to him. "She might be with him still."

"Elena, I'm so sorry," Matt said, had his hand resting on my shoulder for comfort when I stepped away from Stefan. I looked at him and saw the grief in his eyes as he remembered his sister.

"He'll be okay," I stated and absently touched the ring on my finger.

Stefan's eyes widened when he realized what it was, but before he could say anything, Tyler came into the waiting room. He looked completely distraught and his eyes were red from crying. "Tyler?" Matt asked, looking at his friend with confusion.

"My dad's dead."

I looked to Damon to thank him again for saying the night couldn't get worse and found that he didn't look as surprised as he should have. I grabbed him by the forearm and led him back outside. "You knew?" I hissed.

Stefan joined us and stood close to me. Damon looked at both of us and nodded. "Mayor Lockwood was in the fire too. He wasn't a vampire, but he was there. The vervain didn't affect him and his heart was definitely beating. I asked what he was, but one of the other vampires broke his neck before he could answer me."

Stefan nodded as if he knew. "Father always said there had to be more than just vampires in this town."

"What are you saying?" I asked, earning a stare from both of them.

"Tyler's not all human," Damon stated.

"But-" I started, only to be interrupted by Stefan as he connected the dots aloud.

"Matt said he was driving the car and let go of the wheel because there was a high pitched noise in his head. Matt and Caroline didn't hear it, but Tyler did. Elena, Tyler is supernatural."

"Bonnie didn't hear it, meaning it didn't affect witches," Damon mused and it was as if a lightbulb went on over both of their heads at the same moment.

I shut my eyes and rubbed at my temple. "I get that there are witches and vampires, but werewolves too?" I looked up at Damon and shoved him lightly. "Next time there's a horrible night, please keep your mouth shut," I hissed and then walked past both of them to the waiting room. "I'm so sorry Tyler," I said and put my arms around him.

Tyler was definitely one of those males that never showed emotion; to see his tears made me want to cry along with him. "It's bad enough I hurt Caroline, but Dad..." he said through his sobs. Tonight was just the worst night of everyone's lives and it wasn't over yet.

He stepped away and wiped at his face before sitting down with his head in his hands. At that time, Damon and Stefan both came back in and a doctor approached our little group. "Elena Gilbert?" he asked, looking at me.

"Yes."

"I'm Doctor Fjord. I can't find your aunt, but I wanted to deliver an update on your brother." His words set off all the alarms in my head and I glanced towards Damon who nodded and broke off from the group. Stefan looked after him in confusion and worry before I turned back to the doctor. "He ingested a lot of medication, but he was brought in before any of the pills were able to dissolve in his stomach acid. We preformed the procedure and pumped the drugs from his system, but we did put him in a medically induced coma for at least twenty-four hours for his body to heal properly."

"He's okay?"

"He'll be just fine," he assured me. "However, with that kind of an overdose, I do have to report it to a few different places and strongly recommend some sort of counseling."

I nodded, "I completely understand."

"I have other patients to check on, but I will call you and your aunt before he is supposed to wake up."

"Thank you," I said and watched him walk away.

"Your brother's here?" Tyler asked, looking up at me.

"He tried to kill himself."

He nodded and sat back. "Can we talk?" Stefan asked.

Damon came back into the waiting room looking relieved. "Jenna is in the little church set up with Alaric. I guess she called him after they took Jeremy into surgery."

"Did you tell him?"

He nodded curtly. "He brought his bag of tricks with him."

"Elena," Stefan said sternly and grabbed my hands gently. "We need to talk." I went with him outside again and was glad that Damon didn't follow. I opened my mouth to tell him about the incident at my house, but he spoke first. "Why did Damon bring you to the hospital?"

I shook my head and took a step back from him. "Excuse me?"

"Something happened between the two of you between when we parted ways and you showing up here."

"Are you kidding me right now?" I snapped, my anger on the rise.

He held up his hands in mock surrender. "No, no, that's not what I'm saying. I meant something like Jeremy's situation."

I stared at him for a few silent moments to make sure that he wasn't accusing me of being with Damon. "Katherine's back."

I had never seen him look so completely lost before. "What?"

"She got Jenna to invite her in, thinking it was me, and then almost killed John," I said and then explained everything to him starting with my conversation with him over the phone.

He pulled me to him again for the thousandth time that night. "I'm so sorry."

"It's fine. Everyone's okay at the moment," I replied and shied away from him. I played with the ring on my hand and had an idea. "I need to be here when Caroline gets out of surgery."

"Why?"

"So I can see her and let her wear the ring long enough to heal the main wounds without it being suspicious."

"Would you like to me wait with you?"

"Of course," I answered and we headed back inside. Matt and Tyler were talking to a doctor. We joined Damon off to the side and watched as Sheriff Forbes came into the room. "Sheriff," I said and gave her a sympathy nod.

She returned it and waited until the doctor was done talking. "Matt, Tyler, I know you want to be here when she gets out of surgery, but you need to go home and get some rest."

"But-" Matt started to protest, but she cut him off.

"I will call you the minute she wakes up," she promised him and then walked away in the direction the doctor had gone.

Stefan looked at me and then looked at the other two boys. "I can give you a ride home," he offered.

Matt nodded reluctantly and gave me a quick hug goodbye. "I hope Jeremy gets better."

Tyler gave me another tight hug and said something similar. "Call me if you need anything," I said to him.

"I'll be at Matt's for awhile. I don't think I can bear to see my mom just yet," he said and looked at Matt for an answer.

"That's fine," he replied and it warmed my heart a little to see them finally getting along after the incident between Tyler and Matt's mom.

"Thank you for doing this," I said to Stefan before he kissed me goodbye.

"You'll stay with her?" he asked, looking at Damon.

"Yes," was all he said before sitting back down in one of the chairs.

"I don't have my phone on me."

"Should I come back?"

I shook my head. "I'll have Damon get me into the room and then we'll leave. Would you mind having a roommate for a few days?" I asked.

He smiled lightly and shook his head. "Sounds good to me," he replied and then left with Matt and Tyler.

I threw myself into the seat next to Damon and gave a little cry of frustration. "In case I haven't said it before, I'm saying it now. I hate Katherine."

"You and me both," he muttered.

"You do?"

He turned to face me in the chair and took my hand in his. "What could I possibly love about a girl who got me killed, abandoned me, and tried to kill my only friend?"

I didn't have the slightest idea of what to say to that. Luckily, I didn't have to respond because Jenna and Alaric walked into the waiting room. Damon dropped my hand and stood up, looking nervous from Jenna's presence. Both Alaric and I stared at him and then exchanged the same confused glance. I stepped away from Damon and held Jenna tightly. "This is a horrible night," she whispered.

"Tell me about it," I breathed.

I stepped back and smiled lightly as she tucked a strand of hair behind my ears. "I think you should stay with Alaric tonight."

"Why can't I go home?"

"It's just not safe there," I said and turned to look at Damon.

He nodded and took my place in front of her. He cupped her face and made her look up at him. "It isn't safe at your house. Alaric is going to let you stay with him for awhile."

She nodded and he retreated. "I think we should go. I'll be at Alaric's if you need me."

"Thank you," I mouthed to Alaric as they left the waiting room.

"What are we waiting for?" Damon asked the moment they were gone.

"For Caroline to get out of surgery so I can put the ring on her long enough for her to heal a little bit."

He shook his head. "No, we need to get you to a safe place where Katherine can't get to you."

"Is the boarding house safe?"

"Vampires live there so no."

"What if I moved in?"

"It doesn't work that way. A human has to have the deed in order for it to work."

"Oh," I said in defeat and looked down. "Bonnie isn't really a good choice, especially if vampires are targeting me. I'm not staying with John, and Matt doesn't know what's going on. He has enough problems on his plate; he doesn't need mine."

"How about this; we go to the boarding house for now, load everything you consume with vervain, and put a stake under your pillow. Just until we find something better?"

I nodded and wrapped my arms around myself. "Can't we just rescind an invitation? Or does that make it too easy?"

He smirked and led me outside the hospital and back to my car. "What did I tell you about believing things you read?" he asked sarcastically and I rolled my eyes.

We were silent for about half of the ride before I decided to ask more awkward questions. "Okay, you have to tell me what Jenna interrupted you from and why you were so nervous around her. More importantly, why did you show up at my house when you did?"

"It was hard enough to go through it the first time."

"Please? For me?"

He groaned and rolled his eyes, making me smile. "Only for you," he said and started driving faster. "But I'm not going to do it in the car."

We got to the boarding house in no time because Damon insisted on going close to ninety the entire way there. It did give us a fifteen minute window before Stefan was due to come home. "Alright, spill," I said once we were in the living room.

"Just remember that you asked me to do this."

I nodded slowly, my curiosity peaking. "Okay."

He took a deep, unnecessary breath and then stood confidently in front of me. "She asked me what I was doing leaving the house and after I explained, I poured my heart out to you. I said I came to this town to destroy it and I've found myself wanting to protect it. I'm not a hero, Elena; I don't do good. It's just not me. That's reserved for my brother, you, Bonnie; even though she has every reason to hate me. She helped Stefan save me; because of you. Which means somewhere along way, you decided that I was worth saving." He took a step closer at that I felt my heart rate increasing. "And I wanted to thank you for that," he added and then leaned in to kiss my cheek.

My breath caught in my throat, even as he pulled away. I stared into his eyes, unable to move or do anything to stop him from lowering his lips onto mine. It was wrong on so many levels that I let him kiss me, but I couldn't seem to stop it. My lips parted on their own accord and he used the invitation to slip his tongue inside my mouth. I mimicked his movements and all rational thoughts went away as he pulled me close and sank his fingers into my hair. My arms wrapped around him to pull him closer as he deepened the kiss. If I had been contemplating whether or not I had feelings for Damon, there were no doubts anymore.

The front door slammed shut and we sprang apart with guilty looks on our faces. "That's almost the exact same moment your aunt opened the door and yelled at you to come inside," Damon muttered and left the room as Stefan entered it.

I was back to trembling although it wasn't as bad as it had been earlier, but I was still frozen in place. "Elena?" Stefan called out softly, cupping my jaw and tilting my head up to look at him.

"I think I'm going to go to Alaric's."

He looked at the exit Damon had used and his brow furrowed. "Why?"

"I need to be with Jenna. I'll be safe there," I mumbled and pulled away from him.

He grabbed my wrist lightly as I started to walk away and I stopped moving. "Elena, _I_ will go crazy if you're not here and I know Damon will feel the same way. If she really is back, she will be coming after you to get back at us for whatever reason." He put his arms around me and I sighed at the warmth I felt at my back. "Whatever made you upset just now we can deal with later. You just need to sleep."

I nodded and leaned back against him. "I don't know if I'll be able to sleep," I said lightly and turned around in his arms.

"Trust me, your body is so exhausted that you'll be asleep the instant you hit the pillow," he replied and kissed my forehead. He stepped back, took my hand, and led me upstairs to his room. "I know you don't have any clothes here, but we can go to your house tomorrow and get some," he added as he closed the door behind him. "I have some clothes you can borrow."

I shook my head, "I'll be fine."

We climbed into bed on top of the comforter and I lay on my side facing the edge of the bed. Stefan stretched out behind me, put an arm over my waist, and held me close. "I will be here when you wake up," he promised. I folded my hands under my head, closed my eyes, and just like that, I was asleep.


	6. Chapter 6

SIX

Waking up was difficult. No matter how hard I tried, my eyes wouldn't stay open nor would my body respond to my attempts at moving. I was lying in the same position I had fallen asleep in which meant my shoulders would be stiff all day and my hands were definitely numb. After about ten minutes, I was able to move onto my back and turn my head to smile at Stefan who was propped up against the headboard reading a book. "Morning," he said lightly as he set the book down on the nightstand.

"Morning."

I pushed myself up on my elbows and slowly worked on sitting up straight. "Told you you'd fall asleep."

I smiled and did some stretches. "How long did I sleep for?"

"Ten hours."

"Really? It feels like I slept for at least a week," I said and then slid off the bed. My stomach growled and I laughed. "I must be hungry too. I don't even remember the last time I ate."

"Me neither."

I looked at him sharply. "Stefan, you can't afford to not eat. You need all the strength you can get."

His eyes darkened as if he had been thinking that too. I didn't want to say it aloud, but when it came to Katherine, I wasn't so sure animal blood would do any good. "I know."

"Is Damon home?"

"As far as I know."

"You should go eat. He can stay here with me." Not that I really wanted alone time with him right now, but a hungry Stefan was a dead Stefan. "He can take me to my house to get my things too."

To my surprise, he grinned and stood up. "It's not like he has anything better to do."

I laughed and took his hand before walking to the door. "Are you going to be okay in the woods by yourself?"

"It's better by myself because if I hear anything I know it's someone that shouldn't be there," he explained and I followed him downstairs.

Damon was in the living room, draped across the couch with a drink in one hand, staring at the empty fireplace. "I thought you were supposed to be the brooding brother?" I whispered to Stefan and he laughed.

"I heard that," Damon said flatly without turning.

We made our way into the living room and stood in front of him. He lifted his eyes up to Stefan before looking at me with an intense stare. "I'm going to feed, you need to stay with Elena."

He finished his drink and then got to his feet before us. "You could save yourself some time by just feeding _from _her." Stefan and I exchanged a glance before looking back at Damon. He sighed and nodded. "Alright fine. Go track Bambi down."

"You'll stay with her?" Stefan asked sternly.

Damon gave him a bored stare and one nod. "Why wouldn't I want her all to myself?"

Stefan rolled his eyes while mine went down to the floor. "I'll be back soon. I'm going to-"

"I don't really need the details," I said and smiled faintly. I stood up on my tiptoes and kissed his cheek before going to the kitchen. I got a glass from the cabinet and some water from the faucet. When I turned around, Damon was leaning against the island. "You didn't have to say that."

"No, but I couldn't resist." He played with the empty glass and avoided my eyes at all cost. "We should go get your things before Stefan gets back," he said, pushing away from the counter.

I was stunned at how dismissed I felt by his actions. It was almost as if he didn't want to be around me at all. I straightened up and followed him. If he didn't want to talk about what happened last night, then I wasn't going to bring it up. If he was going to go back to being the old Damon with his crude humor and cocky attitude, fine. By the time we were both seated in my car, I was even more confused that I was feeling hurt by his coldness towards me. I kept my attention on the things that whisked by the car as we drove to my house and the only noise that was being made was my breathing. The moment he parked, I got out of the car and stalked up to the house with the intention of storming up to my room. The moment my hand touched the door knob, my body stilled and wouldn't move forward at all. The image of blood, fingers, and a dead body were the only things that I could see instead of the door that I was touching. "I can't go in there," I whispered.

My hands began to shake and I shut my eyes in order to stop the tears. I was tired of crying and was very determined not to do so. Damon pulled me away from the door by my shoulders and sat me on the bench off to the side of the porch. "I'll make sure John cleaned up and then we'll go straight up to your room."

I nodded, looking down at the ground. The moment he was out of my sight, I felt completely ridiculous. Home was supposed to be a safe place and I couldn't even get past the front door. To top it off, I sent my bodyguard in and left myself alone outside. I looked around briefly and then bolted inside, closing the door roughly behind me. Damon came charging out from the kitchen and stopped when he saw me, his fangs retracted so quickly I thought I had imagined them. I smiled apologetically and stepped away from the door. "I realized that I would rather be in the house with you than outside by myself."

He only nodded at my statement and replied with, "Kitchen's clean."

I stared at him, getting a little frustrated that two words were all that came out of his mouth. "Good. I'll be upstairs."

I turned and went up to my room, leaving him there before he could say anything. I went into the bathroom in hopes of seeing my bloodied jeans so I could get my phone, but they were gone. I sighed and began getting my things from the shower, wrapping everything in a towel so I could carry it to my bedroom. I dropped the items onto my bed before going back to get a few more things. After I had all of my toiletries ready to go, I emptied the duffel bag that Katherine had taken from the school and dumped the contents onto the floor. Even though I tried not to think of her touching my things, I couldn't help it. I took it into the closet with me and started shoving clothes into it without really looking at what I was grabbing.

I really had no reason to be angry with Damon. I was in love with Stefan. I cleared my throat, having realized my thoughts had me frozen in place. For some reason that statement sounded wrong in my head. That thought got me even more upset. I grabbed a few more shirts and then headed out of the closet. I gasped, dropped the bag, and put my hands over my heart at the sight of Damon lounging in the doorway. "You scared me half to death."

He smirked at that. "Funny, because I called your name."

"You did?" I asked, picking up my bag and hauling it over to my bed. "I was thinking."

"About me?" he asked sweetly, his eyes gleaming with mischief.

"About last night," I said pointedly and let him come to his own conclusions over which part of last night I was thinking about. I turned and opened my top dresser drawer to grab underwear, bras, and socks.

"You should definitely pack this one," he said from behind me, making me jump again.

I turned and tried to grab a striped bra from him. It was just like the last time he had done this, but I wasn't in the mood to play around. I snatched it away from him and shoved it into the duffel bag before slamming the drawer shut. I turned to face him, getting a little flustered that he was _right_ there behind me. "Can you do something a little more useful? Like track down my clothes from last night and get my phone?"

He looked slightly offended and narrowed his eyes. "I'm sorry, did I do something to upset you?"

I ran a hand through my hair and shrugged. "I don't know."

"Liar."

He said it so casually that I had to look twice at him. I straightened and squared my shoulders. "You kissed me. Why?"

"You asked me to repeat what I said and I did. I did exactly the same thing as I did the first time. It started with a peck on the cheek, but I took the risk," he said, leaning in closer to me. "And it worked. _Both_ times."

I backed away before he could kiss me again and unplugged my phone charger from the wall. "I'm in love with Stefan," I said as I put the charger on top of my clothes in the duffel bag.

"Then why did you kiss me back?"

My mouth opened, but nothing came out. "A lot of things happened-"

"Oh, don't give me that," he interrupted and crossed his arms. He tilted his head to the side and smirked. "Are you mad because Stefan came home when he did?"

I had the sudden urge to stomp my foot and throw a tantrum, but was very grateful that I got it under control before I could make a complete fool out of myself. "Will you _please _just find my phone?" I asked softly, keeping my eyes looking anywhere but at him.

He nodded and started to walk out of my room. He paused in the doorway to look back at me. "Are you almost finished?"

"I need about five more minutes," I replied and watched him disappear from the doorway.

I grabbed the duffel bag and shook it to get some frustration out before scrounging around for my make-up bag. I grabbed a few things from my dresser before heading back out to the bathroom to get the make-up that I needed. When I got back to the bedroom, I made sure I had everything I needed, double checked, and then worked on getting the overstuffed duffel bag to close. I put the strap over my shoulder and lifted it, groaning at how full it was and approached the doorway. I stopped dead in my tracks as my radio came on, blasting music. I turned to see who or what had turned it on and then turned back at the sound of my door closing.

There, standing against the door was Katherine; a cruel grin on her face. She tsked at me and stepped forward. I dropped my things and began to back up only to end up falling down on my bed. "You stupid girl. I thought you would have known better than to come back here."

"D-" I started to scream, but she was faster.

She knelt behind me on the bed with one hand clapped over my mouth and the other tightened around my throat. "I wouldn't do that if I were you," she breathed into my ear. She chuckled softly and shifted behind me. "I was planning to let you and Stefan live happily ever after, but after I overheard your conversation with Damon I decided that I still want both of them for myself. I'm only going to say this once Elena so you better listen carefully. They are _mine_, not yours. You are just an imitation of me; a copy. You are nothing compared to the original. You're more like child's play and you are going to stay away from both of them. Do you understand?"

"Go to hell," I spat and bit her hand.

Faster than I could follow, I was beneath her on my bed with her knees digging into my stomach and one of her hands holding both of mine above my head, the other over my mouth. The little blue and red veins were visible underneath her eyes and her lips parted to reveal her fangs. "I've already been there," she hissed and forced my neck to the side.

My eyes clamped shut, my lashes wet with tears, in anticipation of being bitten, but only felt a slight increase of pressure at the back of my neck. I opened my eyes to see her holding my vervain necklace up in her hands. "No," I whispered though I was trying to be louder. She put it into her pocket and then placed her hand over my mouth again.

Her eyes bore into mine and I knew I stood no chance when it came to getting out of being compelled. I wished with everything I had that Damon would come up and investigate the music that was still on. "I'm going to kill you now. Seeing as how you're wearing that God awful ring of your father's, you'll come back soon enough. When you do, you're going to go to the tomb and wait for me."

My breathing slowed down to a normal rate and she removed her hand slowly. "I will be waiting," I heard myself say even though I was screaming and fighting inside.

She let go of my hands as well and stroked my face, another cruel smile on hers. "Good girl," she breathed. Her movements were too fast for me to follow, but there was a sharp pain in my neck and then everything went dark.


	7. Chapter 7

**a/n: one month and one week left to go! And I found out (probably common knowledge by now) that Season 1 comes out on DVD Aug. 31st...can't wait!**

SEVEN

My head was pounding and my neck was stiff when I opened my eyes. I had to blink a few times to make the room stop spinning and felt a little queasy when it did. I propped myself up on my elbows, trying to think of the reasons why being in my room felt wrong. I slowly pushed myself up into a sitting position with my legs dangling over the side of the bed. I reached back to rub my neck, trying to get some of the stiffness to go away. My hands dropped back to my sides and I rolled my shoulders. When I felt a little better, I got to my feet and my body tensed. The tomb. I needed to get to the tomb and wait for...someone. For the life of me, I couldn't remember why I had to go there or for whom I was supposed to wait for, but the urgency to get to the tomb was compelling my movements. My legs were moving on their own accord and before I knew it, I was already leaving my house.

It was dark outside with only the moon and stars to guide the way once I was in the forest behind my house. I found it a little strange that I seemed to know exactly how to get to the tomb on foot on a path I had never taken before, but I knew I wasn't lost. I didn't know how it long it took me to get to there, but I knew it was a lot faster than I should have been able to. I looked around and listened for a sign of anyone else, but found nothing. I paced in front of the entrance while I waited. Something was definitely off, but when I tried to walk away from the clearing, I stopped and went back to waiting in front of the entrance. I sank to the ground, resting against the rough stones and closed my eyes to think.

The longer I sat there, the more I was reminded of the last time I had been here. That night was almost as bad as the last night had been. Bonnie's grandmother had died and as a result the tomb vampires were able to get out. I could see Damon's face clearly in my mind as I relived the moment he found out Katherine had never been in there to begin with. He had been so angry and hurt when he realized she had abandoned him. My eyes snapped open as I remembered why I was here.

Katherine.

My hand flew up to my chest and sure enough, my necklace was gone. She had compelled me and it had worked. I was here, waiting for her, alive only because I had taken John's ring. I began to feel afraid, not only because I knew Katherine would eventually come here to get me, but because I didn't know why she kept me alive. More importantly, what had she done to the people I care about since she left my house? My stomach churned at that. She had taken my necklace before killing me, allowing her to pretend she was me again on her way down to meet Damon. I felt tears welling up in my eyes as my brain ran through all the things she could have done to him.

The sound of a twig snapping filled my ears and I turned in the direction the sound had come from. I got to my feet and peered into the darkness, feeling very vulnerable because I couldn't see very far in front of me. I jumped and my hand flew over my mouth as a body landed at my feet. It took me a few seconds to realize that it was Damon and I dropped to my knees beside him. I rolled him onto his back and ran my hands over him lightly as I checked for any visible wounds. His skin was a bit more pale than usual, but other than that he was fine. "Vervain," he choked out and then began to cough.

I was about to ask him something when I noticed a movement from the corner of my eye. I looked up to see Katherine and Bonnie walking into the clearing. I was frozen by fear as I looked anxiously at Bonnie to see if she was okay. She had a blank look on her face and while I screamed at her with my eyes, she appeared not to recognize me; if she even noticed me there at all. "Why yes, Elena, the witch _is_ under my control," Katherine sneered and whispered something in Bonnie's ear.

I knew there was nothing I could do to stop her and even though the ground was littered with pieces of wood, she would never let me get close enough to kill her. Bonnie moved to stand in the spot where she and her grandmother had stood when they cast the spell to open the tomb. Once she was there she stood as still as a statue, waiting for Katherine's next order. I looked down at Damon who was still withering on the ground in pain from the vervain. I slowly got to my feet and faced Katherine who was still standing in the same place. "Anyone else you want to hurt on my account?" I asked through gritted teeth.

"All in due time," she replied as the corners of her mouth lifted into a smile.

"Why did you want me to meet you here?"

"You ask _way_ too many questions," she said and stepped forward to whisper something else in Bonnie's ear. Then she turned back to me and shrugged. "But since you asked nicely, I guess I could answer this one."

I glanced at her neck and saw my necklace hanging on a new chain. She must have taken the vervain out; it was the only way she would be able to wear it. "I'm waiting," I said in a voice full of confidence that I wasn't feeling inside.

From the look on her face, I thought she was going to do something drastic to show me that she was in charge, but then she rolled her eyes and smiled. Her eyes dropped to Damon and then worked their way back up to me. "The one person who should have seen the difference right away was fooled twice. If I can fool him, I can fool all of them." My blood turned icy and my heart skipped a beat.

"John knows you're back and so does Stefan."

"And if you're out of the way, they'll never notice," she said coldly and I felt sick when I realized what she meant. She smiled when she saw that I understood her plan. "You're not as slow as I thought."

"Someone will figure this out."

"And by then, Damon will have killed you because when he comes out of his vervain driven stupor, the nearest buffet will be you."

"Bonnie-" I argued.

"Bonnie will not remember any of this," she interrupted and stroked Bonnie's cheek with her index finger, smiling sadistically. She said another thing to Bonnie discreetly and Bonnie began to chant, staring very intently at Damon. Right before my eyes, he began to rise from the ground and float towards the entrance of the tomb. I watched in awe as he disappeared and winced when I heard him being dropped to the ground. Katherine had come up behind me while I was busy watching Bonnie's power display and I gasped when she grabbed a fist full of my hair and tipped my head back roughly. "I'll take this," she said and snatched the ring from my finger.

"No!" I hissed and tried to get it back from her.

I stopped moving when I felt something cold and sharp pressing against my throat. I ground my teeth and inhaled sharply as she nicked the side of my throat and then held my wrist out. I could only watch her cut a deep line from the inside of my elbow all the way down to my palm. "Let's see how long you last when Damon smells your blood," she whispered.

I looked up at her to see her fangs out and the red-blue veins beneath her eyes. "Bitch," I snarled despite the pain that was coursing through my entire body.

She dragged me by my bicep and shoved me into the tomb. I tried not to cry out as some dirt got into the cut on my arm. I looked up at the entrance to see her holding up my ring. "Tell you what, I'll give you an escape route." I watched in horror as she pulled her arm back and then launched the ring into the tomb. I heard it bounce off the floor somewhere behind me and my heart sank because I knew I would never be able to find it. "Good luck," she said gleefully and disappeared.

As much as I wanted to get up and run from the tomb, I couldn't leave Damon in here by himself. I crawled on my hands and knees until I was at his side. Since there was still a little bit of light coming from the open entrance, I was able to see his face. He was getting paler and it was beginning to worry me. His chest rose and fell unevenly which was exceptionally weird considering he didn't need to breathe. I reached over to pat his cheek in attempt to get his attention. "Damon, come on, wake up. Damon," I repeated and then stopped when I heard Bonnie's voice floating in from outside the tomb. I felt the beginnings of a panic attack at the sound of the tomb door sealing itself and in a matter of seconds, the remaining light vanished. Not a single thing could be seen or heard from the outside. Unfortunately it worked both ways; no one would be able to hear us calling out for help. Not that anyone would think to look for us here in the first place.

I moved my hand down from Damon's face to his shoulder and then down to his hand. I checked all of his fingers on one hand and then gently felt around for his other hand. I inspected his fingers again and cursed. "Elena?" he mumbled.

"Katherine took your ring too," I explained in a voice full of anger. I kept my hand resting on his because I was afraid that if I wasn't touching him, I wouldn't be able to find him again. I knew Damon had enhanced vision, but I wasn't so sure he could see in complete darkness. Just thinking of the tomb being pitch black was enough to make me panic again. Both my arm and my neck were throbbing and I knew it would probably be best to get as far away from Damon as I could, but I wasn't going anywhere. I kept telling myself that he wasn't going to hurt me no matter how much he needed blood. If we found my ring, he could take as much as he wanted and I was willing to use that as a bargaining chip if necessary.

Damon's fingers closed around mine and I felt the urge to cry. Just as my lashes gently touched my cheeks, I gasped when Damon grabbed my wrist and pulled it over his lips. I was quivering in fear with my eyes squeezed shut in anticipation of him biting me. My eyes opened cautiously as his tongue swept across the entire length of the cut. It made me shudder and a moan escaped my lips before I could stop it. I wanted to pull away, but every time I tried to move, he tightened his hold on me. "Stop," he demanded.

"You're hurting me," I managed to get out. He let go of my wrist and I got to my feet clumsily. Before I could complete my first step, Damon used his speed to pin me between himself and the rough stone walls. I struggled against him even though it was useless. He had both of my wrists in one hand and yanked them up over my head. His free hand moved the hair from the side of my neck where Katherine had cut me and I inhaled sharply when I felt his lips touch the curve of my neck. I stilled and shut my eyes while his tongue lapped up the blood that had seeped out of the wound to stain my skin. He mumbled something against my flesh and it renewed my fear and I began to struggle again. Another shudder ran through my body when I felt his fangs scrape lightly against my skin.

By locking both of us in the tomb, Katherine was not only getting me killed, but she was making Damon do it. As his lips parted, my mind wandered to how he was going to feel when he realized what he had done. In that moment I hated Katherine more than I ever thought was possible.


	8. Chapter 8

EIGHT

Damon's lips parted and then pulled away from my skin. "Will you stop?" he growled.

My body stilled at how in control of himself he sounded. "What?"

"Stop fighting me. It's only making it harder for me to _not_ bite you."

He dropped my hands and I let them fall down to my sides. My eyes opened and looked in the direction of his voice. He was still standing there with his body flush against mine, but the fear I had felt was slowly going away. "You were...my blood..."

He reached up to cup my face, stroking my tear stained cheeks with his thumbs. "I just wanted to get the blood that had already spilled. My saliva healed you enough so you won't bleed anymore. Katherine didn't give me that much vervain. I still have some sense of awareness."

His words were gentle but I got the distinct feeling that he was laughing at my reaction. I shoved him from me and stumbled away from the wall. "Excuse me for being scared that I'm trapped in tomb with a vampire."

"I'd be more worried about the oxygen supply rather than if I'm going to feed on you or not."

My jaw dropped and I stopped moving, bringing my hand up to wipe at my eyes. "Thank you," I snapped, my voice dripping with sarcasm. I turned around with my arms out in front of me until they touched his chest. I shoved gently and then put my arms down again. "Why the hell didn't you come back up to my room when you heard the music?"

"I was doing as you had asked and tracked down your phone. Which, by the way, was outside in the trash can."

I gave a cry of frustration and turned my back on him. "How are we supposed to get out of here?"

"Maybe in another hundred and fifty years someone will open the tomb for us like we opened it for the others."

"This is not funny Damon!" I shouted. "You won't die, you'll just shrivel up into a starving corpse. Me on the other hand...you might as well kill me now and get it over with."

"Elena, you're being preposterous," he said from in front of me, causing me to jump. "That ring on your finger will allow you to do the same thing. You can die from lack of oxygen and once the tomb opens, your lungs will repair themselves and just like that you'll be fine."

"One tiny little flaw in that plan," I said bitterly. "Katherine took it off of me and threw it into the tomb before it closed. Like I said earlier, she has your ring too."

He didn't answer right away and even though I couldn't see him, I could picture the look on his face and it wasn't a good one. "I take it you want me to help you find it?"

Not what I was expecting him to say. "You don't have to. I've already died once tonight, I don't see the difference in doing it again now."

"She killed you?"

"From the stiffness in my neck and shoulders I would say she snapped my neck. She has my necklace too."

"I'm not going to compel you to do anything," he said and I felt a little bit of my tension fade away. "It doesn't work if you can't see my eyes."

I shook my head and ran my hands through my hair. "Why are you suddenly being an ass again?"

"This behavior is sudden?" he asked in a teasing sort of way.

"Damon," I warned and then the panic attack I had been feeling began to strike. I clutched at the hem of my shirt and walked until I hit a wall. I turned my back to it and slid down. I rested my elbows on my knees and held my head in my hands while I took deep breaths to calm my nerves. "She's out there going after my friends and my family and there's nothing we can do to stop her. Nobody is safe when it comes to her." Tears slid down my cheeks and onto the ground. "By the time we get out of here they could all be dead."

I felt him sit on the ground next to me and instead of saying anything to comfort me, he drew me into his lap and held me to him. I slid my arms around his neck, put my head on his shoulder, and cried my heart out. "Someone will come looking for us. Stefan, John, and Alaric all know that she's here and John knows exactly what she's capable of. I know John really hates vampires, but I think he would be willing to work with Stefan and Alaric to kill her. You know, 'The enemy of my enemy' and all that rubbish."

"Do you really want her dead?" I asked, lifting my head up from his shirt so he could understand me.

"Yes," he said flatly without a hint of emotion. "I want that more than anything in the world."

"I thought you loved her."

"Loved. Past tense," he informed me, playing with a few strands of my hair. I couldn't see it, but I could feel him twirling them around his fingers. "I'm not even sure you could call it love. More like the sex was fantastic; the passion was raw, but there was no substance."

I would never understand why, but the tone and sound of his voice was calming me down little by little. "I think that's total bull. You did love her and you always will. The difference is, now you see her for what she really is. You can't help who you fall in love with," I whispered.

He was silent for a moment. "No, you can't."

There was something wistful about the way he said those words and I wanted so badly to ask him about what Isobel said, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. "I'm sorry," I said quietly before resting my head back on his shoulder.

"For?"

"I don't know; yelling at you when you didn't deserve it. Not yelling when you did," I replied, smiling a little at the last part.

I took a deep breath and sighed, feeling more at ease. His hand, the one that was playing with my hair, dropped my tresses and cupped my face lightly, thumbing away the tears the remnants of my tears. My breath caught in my throat since I knew what was coming and this time I was ready for it. His lips touched mine so lightly I thought I was imagining it at first. It was his way of being cautious, to make sure that I was going to respond before he went any further. I parted my lips, initiating the kiss. All rational thoughts and reasons why I shouldn't be doing this went away the moment his tongue touched mine. It wasn't sweet and tender as it had been last night; it was more demanding rather than experimental and I wasn't trying to fight him. I had no excuses. Last time he had stunned me and I kissed back on impulse. This time, I was the one who encouraged him.

I moved, with a little of his help, so that I had was straddling him and I could get a better hold on his face. His arms locked around my waist with his hands planted firmly on my back. A growl escaped his lips and before I knew it, I was lying with my back on the ground beneath him. My legs were locked firmly around his hips and my fingers were buried in his hair. He moved his lips to my cheek and then glided down to the curve of my shoulder. I heard him inhale; felt the air movement on my skin. I froze when his lips parted and I felt his fangs graze my flesh. I put my hands on his chest with the full intention of pushing him away, but I couldn't get my arms to respond.

"Tell me to stop and I will," he breathed in my ear, gently nipping at my lobe now that his fangs had retracted.

My fingers clenched at his shirt and I gulped, unsure of what to do. I nodded and let out a sharp breath. "Stop," I whispered and he withdrew his lips from my ear.

"Just to be clear, this time, you kissed me," he said as he pulled himself off of me.

I pushed myself up and sat with my back against the wall again. I felt Damon's leg resting against mine letting me know that he was there. "I know and I shouldn't have. I don't want to be like her. I would rather die a thousand times than be like Katherine."

"You're not like her."

"Not yet," I mumbled, wrapping my arms around myself. I sighed again and knew that it was time to have this conversation. Seeing as how neither of us knew how long we were going to be in here, it was the perfect time to have it. "I'm in love with Stefan, you know that. I'll admit that I feel..._something_ for you, but if we keep this up, I'll end up just like _her_. I will _not_ be the one to come between you and Stefan again. Not when you're just starting to get along again." It was easier than I thought because I wasn't able to see his face.

"There's a simple solution to all of this."

"How would breaking up with Stefan be any better?"

"I wasn't thinking that, but since you mentioned it..." his voice trailed off and I was a hundred percent sure that if I could see his face, it would have a smirk on it.

I rolled my eyes. "Fine, then answer this. Is this some plot of yours to get back at Stefan for Katherine or is what Isobel said true?" There, I said it and I couldn't take it back. No matter how much I wanted to.

"Yes."

I stared into the darkness, waiting for him to say more; not surprised when he didn't. Since he wasn't going to elaborate, I changed the subject. "How do we get out of here? This tomb is a hundred and fifty years old, there has to be a crack in the structure somewhere."

I got to my feet and waited until I heard the movement of his clothes to indicate that he was standing as well. "No offense, but I think the other vampires would have noticed that."

"Maybe, but they were all shriveled up and couldn't move," I reminded him and began moving forward.

He grabbed my wrist and forced me to a stop. "Don't move."

His tone was so serious that I was back to being scared. "Damon?"

"Quiet," he demanded and thread his fingers with mine.

He moved so he was standing in front of me and I stepped forward until I could feel him against my front. I strained my ear for any noise other than my breathing but came up with nothing. "Damon?" I asked again and I felt him relax.

"I thought I heard something."

"Inside or outside?" I asked, my voice coming out in a higher pitch than I intended.

"Outside. I don't hear anything in here other than you."

"I'm sorry?"

His chest rumbled as he chuckled and he let go of my hand to put an arm around my waist. "Not like you can help it."

"Is it going to bother you?" I asked, hoping he would understand what I was asking.

"Depends on how long it takes to get out of here."

"Good to know," I mumbled and shied away from him so that I could pace. "I hope it's soon because I'm really hungry. I can't remember the last time I ate." I sat down on the ground again as I had the last time with my back against the wall.

"Try sleeping. That should help."

"Until I wake up."

He slid into a sitting position next to me and patted my leg. "Just get used to it."

"Thanks," I murmured as I leaned over to lie on my side with my hands under my head as a pillow. When my eyes closed, I thought of my family, my friends, and most of all Stefan. I wiped away a tear that escaped from my closed lids.

"We will get out of here," Damon vowed from where he sat. I said nothing as another tear fell. I adjusted my body to be more comfortable, shoved away all the bad thoughts, and before I knew it, I was asleep.


	9. Chapter 9

**a/n: Okay, now that my wonderful beta reader's internet is working again, my posts should be back to normal. Thanks again to Zoraya Windwalker for going out of her way to edit my story :)**

NINE

It was hard to tell if my eyes were open or shut because either way it was pitch black. I hadn't moved, but I could already tell that my body was going to be a little stiff from sleeping on the ground. I had been hoping that when I woke up I would have been anywhere but in the tomb; that it all had been a dream. I tensed when something moved beneath and behind me. "Damon?" I whispered. Even though my voice was quiet, it sounded deafening in the unnatural stillness of the tomb.

"Yes?" he called out softly, his body rumbling against my back as he spoke.

I was sure that I had fallen asleep laying in the opposite direction. In fact, I distinctly remember doing it on purpose. I pushed myself up and leaned back against the wall knowing I was sitting next to him. "Sorry."

"I thought you would be more comfortable with your head not on the ground. God knows what could be crawling-"

"Oh, so not helping," I interrupted and began to feel a bit paranoid. I cleared my throat and combed my hair away from my face. "Did you sleep at all?"

"I don't need sleep."

I rolled my eyes; of course I knew that, but I couldn't help feeling like an idiot. "I think we're going to die of boredom before anything else."

"I can think of some things to cure that."

I rolled my eyes and nudged him playfully. "That can get boring too."

"Not if you do it right." He let out a low whistle and I knew what the next words out of his mouth were going to be. "Does that mean my brother doesn't-"

"Don't even go there. I'm not discussing my sex life with you."

"Or lack thereof."

"Damon."

I knew he had a satisfied smirk on his face, but he didn't say anything else to add to the awkward comments. "Why did you torment Vickie?" I asked quietly. I figured we would be in the tomb for quite some time and now was the perfect time to ask these questions.

"I attacked her once because she was an easy target."

"So you were at the party?" I asked, just now connecting the dots.

"If you can call it a party," he mumbled. "Then I went for her again because it pissed Stefan off. The last time I didn't know it was her until she was almost dead. I went to pour gasoline on her as I had with the others and she started to breathe again so I took her home."

"Why?" I asked, trying hard not to get emotional since she was Matt's sister.

"Your boyfriend had my ring at the time and I was bored. She was fun to party with after I gave her my blood. We exchanged a few more times and then I decided to turn her. I can't exactly say why, but I did."

"Do you regret it?" I asked after hearing a strange emotion in his voice.

"I know you want me to say yes, but I can't. I'm not sorry for Caroline or Bonnie either. Caroline got a wake-up call from what I did to her and she's a slightly better person for it. As for Bonnie, it was before I knew Katherine wasn't in here. Had I known, I never would have bothered her."

From the finality in his voice, I knew he didn't want to say anything else on that subject. "Who do you think the vampire was that crashed my car?"

"Probably another lackey of Isobel's trying to keep you from looking for her. It might have been no one of importance at all."

"And you just happened to be there at the right time to save me?" I questioned.

"You're welcome," he replied and then nudged me playfully. "I didn't have anything to do with your crash. Besides, it led to a fantastic trip to Georgia."

"Where I saved you," I reminded him.

"I'm surprised you could from all the alcohol you consumed."

I grinned. "It was the first time since my parent's died that I had more than one or two drinks."

"What happened that night?" he asked.

I took a deep breath. As much as I didn't want to relive that night, it was only fair since he had told me about his beginnings. "It was family night and I skipped it to go to a party. I was so trashed I couldn't talk to save my life. My parents came to get me after Matt called them because he was worried about me. It was raining pretty badly and as we went over the bridge, the car began to hydroplane and somehow we ended up in the river. It wasn't until recently that Stefan told me he saved me from drowning. I still can't remember seeing him, but I do remember seeing hands break the window and pull me out." My breath caught in my throat as the impact of the car that night reverberated in my body. "I can still see their faces in the water," I breathed.

He slid his arm around my shoulders and that gesture made me feel better. At least I wasn't crying again. "Is that why you dumped Matt?"

I mulled that thought over. "I never thought of it that way," I admitted and finally realized why he had been so angry with me at first. "We were best friends before that and I wanted my best friend more than I wanted a boyfriend. Turns out, I ended up with neither."

"That's not true, he still cares."

"I know that. I mean, he was there for me when I needed him, but it was awkward because we had broken up. The first day back to school this year was the hardest day of my life."

"If it helps, you two seem to be just fine now."

"Seeing me with Stefan helped him get over me. I'm really glad he stayed in town because I would have gotten back together with Matt eventually if it weren't for him."

"And that's a bad thing?"

"No, but he was a safe choice and I didn't think it would be fair to him if we got back together for only that reason."

"Then why are you with Stefan?"

"He's not a safe choice if you compare him to anyone other than you."

"Ah, so you do compare us."

I rolled my eyes and removed his arm from my shoulders. My stomach growled and I moved my hand to my abdomen. "I hope someone finds us soon. How long do you think we've been down here?"

"A few hours at most. You weren't asleep that long."

I tipped my head back so that it was touching the stone behind me. "I wonder if Jeremy's awake."

"Don't think about them. You'll just start panicking again and there's a limited amount of air supply in here."

"Speaking of, we should look for my ring."

"I can't see in total darkness and I can't hear things that don't make noise."

"We'll do it the old fashioned way then. On our hands and knees." I felt the heat rise to my cheeks as soon as I realized what I said and I was very glad he couldn't see me.

"That's not the old fashioned way," he teased and then began laughing, his voice echoing throughout the tomb in an eerie sort of way.

"Please forget I said that."

"Not on your life."

I groaned and got to my feet, trying to remember the layout of the tomb from the last time I was in here. The only thing I could remember was it's winding catacomb like structure and the fact that Pearl had fed on me while I was looking for Stefan. I shuddered and jumped slightly when I felt Damon's hand on my arm. "She didn't use her strength to throw it so it should be somewhat close. I didn't hear it rebound off of any walls it just went straight to the floor."

"Did you hear it bounce at all?"

I thought and shook my head before I spoke. "Not that I recall."

"It could have landed in a corner or against the wall. We can check the perimeter first."

"Do you have a lighter or anything on you?"

"Why would I have one of those?"

"Just asking," I muttered before moving to my left and crouching down to feel along the wall. I kept my eyes squeezed shut in anticipation of hitting a bug or some other critter I didn't want to encounter without an escape route. After searching the length of the wall twice, I sat and rolled my shoulders. "This was a dumb idea. We're never going to find it."

"Keep looking. It's not like we're running out of time or anything."

"Thanks," I muttered and leaned forward on my palms to start looking again.

I cried out when my hand landed on something sharp. "Elena?" he called out in concern.

I clasped my fingers around the object and swore under my breath. "I found it," I said darkly, sliding the ring onto my finger. I put my hand on the arm that Katherine had cut and there was no sign of any injury. My stomach growled again as I got to my feet and held my arms out in front of me until I stumbled across Damon.

He held my arms until I steadied myself and then he dropped his hold. "I have a suggestion for your hunger, but you're probably not going to like it."

"What is it?" I asked wearily.

"Here's the thing; I haven't eaten in days and I'm getting to the point where it's _very_ hard to be around you. Now that you have the ring back, any blood I take will be replaced pretty quickly. I can give you some of my blood in return and it should ebb your hunger."

I thought about it and knew that if I didn't agree to it, it would be the same thing as torturing him. Especially since he had had just a little taste when he had lapped up the blood Katherine spilled. "Seeing as how I don't have much of a choice, I guess it's fine," I said with a sigh.

"You don't have to, it was just a suggestion."

"If someone does come for us, I need you to be at your strongest. Otherwise we are as good as dead."

"Very true," he said and gently took my hand in his. "There are two ways of doing this. We can feed at the same time or we can do one at a time."

My mouth went dry as I remembered the last time he had given me his blood. The first time he had given me some to save me when my car crashed. I didn't remember him doing that, but knew without it I wouldn't have made it very far. Then there was the time where I had betrayed him in order to help Stefan. It was the one time I had lied to him and I was never going to do that again. "You go first," I whispered, trying to block out the time Stefan had taken my blood. That had been a disaster; the only good thing was my friendship with Damon and even that was iffy at the moment.

"You sure?"

"No, but if you don't do it now and get it over with, I'm going to change my mind," I insisted stood there, waiting for him to make his move.

He hesitated and as I opened my mouth to ask what was wrong, his hands rested on my shoulders just to feel where I was. He moved them up my neck to gather my hair off to one side. I tipped my head to expose my neck more and my eyes shut on their own accord when his lips touched my flesh. "Don't fight it. It will be very unpleasant if you do."

"Okay," I whispered, my voice coming out more confident than I felt.

My breathing was shallow and my body was rigid with anticipation. He parted his lips causing a chill to run down my spine and in the next instant, there was a sharp pain followed by intense pleasure. I gasped at the initial bite and then relaxed in his arms as he drank from me. He was right, as long as I just sat back and allowed it to happen, it wasn't bad at all. I felt as though I was floating; completely detached from my body. If Damon hadn't locked his arms around me, I would have collapsed as my knees began to give way. As suddenly as the rush had come, it stopped when he pulled away, using his tongue to lap up the excess blood. My eyes fluttered as I tried to get my bearings and stilled when something coppery touched my lips. "Drink," he demanded.

My lips closed over his wrist and I found it with my hands to hold it to my mouth while I drank from him. It wasn't as bad as I remembered it to be. I assumed that was due to the fact that I was drinking it willingly rather than having him forcing me to drink it. It went down my throat smoothly, singing through my veins and leaving me with a new zest for life. I had never felt so alive before and when he pulled away, he had to pry my fingers from his arm. I licked my lips and wiped at my chin before licking them clean as well. Neither of us said a word for a long time. "Thanks," I murmured.

He didn't respond other than to gently touch my arm so he could guide me to the wall where we sat again. Though the last thing I wanted to do was sit, I obliged. After a few minutes of fidgeting, Damon laughed. "Are you okay?"

"I feel like I could run a marathon or something."

"Welcome to my world."

"This is incredible."

"If we weren't locked up, you would be able to see half as well as I can. Which is twice as well as a human. Your hearing will improve as well."

"So..." I started, thinking over my next words. "If I get killed will the ring heal me and leave me with my humanity or will I turn into a vampire?"

"I honestly don't know."

"Great," I mumbled. "How long will it curb my hunger for?"

"I don't know that either," he said, nudging me with his shoulder.

"Useless," I teased and nudged him back. I sat up straight as I thought of something. "Okay, this might be a dumb idea, but we're both stronger than a human and no one's infected with vervain. What if we were able to find a crack somewhere and start pounding on it? Maybe we can get ourselves out of here."

"I checked while you slept. It's still as good as the day they made it."

I sighed in defeat. "What if we-"

He cut me off by putting his hand over my mouth. I held my breath and strained my ears to find out what he was hearing. At first I could only hear the ringing in my ears, but then I heard the faintest scraping noise. "Up," he demanded and hauled me to my feet.

"What do you think it is?" I asked quietly, clutching his arm as he moved in the direction I hoped was the entrance of the tomb. It was hard to tell anymore since we had moved around since then.

"Someone's opening the tomb," he replied and stopped walking. "Stay here; don't move."

"Damon, no. Damon!" I hissed when he pulled out of my grasp, leaving me alone and vulnerable in the darkness.


	10. Chapter 10

TEN

I could see the entrance of the tomb from where I stood. Damon was standing just beyond the opening, making sure to keep out of the silvery-blue rays of the moonlight that were streaming in. I trembled as I watched him inch closer and then use his speed to get out. I heard a thud, a cry of pain, and then nothing. "Damon?" I called out softly and took a cautious step forward.

He appeared in the doorway and I jumped. "It's just Bonnie."

Hearing her name made my legs move at a running pace and the moment I saw her, I launched myself at her. We stumbled but caught our footing before we tumbled to the ground. "What are you doing here?" I asked, looking around for any sign of Katherine.

"She's not here," she informed me and I let go of her so she could adjust her clothes. I stepped back sensing that she wasn't too happy about being here. "I'm sorry I couldn't get here sooner, but it's only been seven hours. The sun is due to rise in a few minutes and she wouldn't leave."

"Did she come into your house?"

She shook her head and I let out a deep breath. "She found me at the Grill and took me to the motel where Anna and Ben had us."

"How did you even remember that we were here? She was compelling you," Damon asked, studying her.

"Once you told me that vervain could prevent that, I started putting it in everything I ate and drank. She approached me as I was leaving the Grill pretending to be you, but I knew she wasn't. Something was off, there was an edge to your voice and a cruelty in your eyes that isn't you. She looked me in the eye and told me to follow her. Once I realized what she was doing, I made my face go blank and just followed her. I did what she asked and when she left, she told me not to remember anything. I have to go now in case she decided to follow me."

"I'll call you later okay?" I said as she turned to walk away. "Thank you for coming back for us."

She stopped and turned to look at me. "I came for _you_, not him," she said sternly and then left us.

I looked at Damon and he rolled his eyes. I folded my arms across my chest and stared at him. "How come Bonnie was able to tell the difference but she was able to fool you?"

He shook his head once, his eyes focused on the ground between us. "I'm not sure. Come on, we have to get to the boarding house before the sun comes up."

"Maybe we should go to Alaric's or John's if we have to. Somewhere Katherine can't get to us that easily."

"We won't make it to anywhere but the boarding house before the sun rises," he said after a moment to consider the options.

"Alright, let's go." I saw the hesitation in his eyes as I stepped towards him and I narrowed mine at him. "I'm not going anywhere by myself and neither are you."

"It's not like I did a great job at protecting you last time."

"Maybe you didn't see the difference because you're used to being around both of us," I suggested.

He stared at me with an intensity that almost made me blush and I was grateful when he finally looked away and held out his hand. "Come on then, let's go." I took his hand and he pulled me to him, lifting me slightly off the ground, and with that we were running. I shut my eyes against the blur of trees and other various things as Damon ran faster than the eye could follow. When we stopped, he put me down and I stumbled from the bout of dizziness that coursed through me momentarily. He cupped my elbows to support me and then pushed open the door. I waited until he had it closed behind him before heading to the stairs.

"Stefan?" I called out and began to climb them. I pushed his bedroom door open and my smile drained from my face. His bed was made and nothing in his room was out of order. "Stefan?" I called again in a softer voice. I listened closely in case I could hear him, but the only thing I that reached my ears was Damon pouring himself a drink.

I walked back down to the living room feeling lost and utterly confused. Damon was leaning against the back of the couch with a glass in each hand. "Not here?"

I shook my head and took one of the glasses from him and downed it right away. "Maybe he went to the hospital to check on Jeremy," I said and snapped out of the listlessness I was feeling. "Jeremy!"

Damon grabbed my arm before I could take off. "You need to eat and you can't go anywhere looking like you got lost in the woods."

"My things are still at my house," I mumbled as he dropped my arm gently and took my empty glass.

"No, we made it here before she knocked me out. Your things should be in your car which is outside."

"Really?"

He nodded and set both of our glasses down on the table with the liquor. "At first she had me fooled, but she was silent in the car and when I went to grab your hand, it didn't have your ring on it."

"How did she get the vervain into you?"

"She left your stuff in the car and we walked up to the house. She asked if Stefan was home; not if he was back yet. That only confirmed it for me so I kissed her. She knew immediately I had figured her out and wasted no time in reminding me that she's older and more powerful. She had a syringe in her boot and it had enough vervain to knock me out. She locked me in the basement after taking my ring and by the time she brought me to the tomb, it was wearing off."

"Do you think she did something to Stefan?" I asked quietly, not sure if I wanted to hear his response.

"It's possible."

I nodded and took a step back. "Okay, I'm going to do as you suggested and take a shower."

"I can protect you better if we shower together. We can save the planet while we're at it."

I shook my head and laughed. "You can help me get my things."

In the blink of an eye, he was outside and back with my things. "Here you are. I'll make breakfast while you shower."

"Are you sure it's safe?" I asked, glancing at the stairs over my shoulder.

"There's a bathroom on the main floor. I can see it from the kitchen."

"There is?"

He nodded and beckoned for me to follow him, carrying my things as he went. He opened a door and stepped aside for me to take a look. "It's a big house; you can't have too many bathrooms," he said and put my things on the floor by the sink. "I may have to get you some towels," he added and was back before I could speak.

"Thanks," I said and stepped inside, shutting the door softly behind me. I went to the mirror above the sink and my eyes widened at the sight of myself. My hair looked as if half of the forest was in it and my face was streaked with dirt. I looked down at my clothes only to see that they were dirty and torn. "I liked those jeans," I mumbled to myself and looked back into the mirror. I moved my hair away from my neck and my eyes widened at the sight of the bite mark. I was momentarily surprised that it wasn't there before I remembered it must have healed since I was wearing the ring. I let go of my hair and tore myself away from the mirror to dig around for the things I needed.

I took a quick shower, dried off the best I could, and got dressed. I didn't bother with make-up at the moment and decided to let my hair air dry. I stepped out of the bathroom and closed the door behind me. As I looked into the kitchen I did a double take at the expression on Damon's face. He cleared his throat and turned the other way. "Breakfast is ready."

I sniffed the air and my stomach growled. "It smells amazing."

"That's because it is," he said and brought two plates to the eating portion of the island. "Eat and then you can call who you need to."

I nodded and began to eat. At the first taste, I realized just exactly how hungry I had been and I was at the point where I knew I wasn't going to be feeling good after I finished eating. "Thanks," I said when I had managed to finish my plate.

He got up to get me a glass of water and I downed it. He slid his phone across the island and then collected the plates to put them in the sink. "I'm going to take a shower, you start making your phone calls."

I picked up the phone and stared at the display while I decided who I should call first. Bonnie already knew the situation and was safe for now. Matt; I needed to warn him. I dialed and got off of the barstool so that I could pace and talk at the same time. "Hello?" he grumbled and I cursed myself for calling so early.

"It's Elena. I'm sorry if I woke you up, but I need to talk to you."

I heard something fall over and crash on the floor. "What is it?" he asked in a tone that said he was moving around.

"This is going to sound really strange, but I need you to promise that if I come to your house, you won't invite me in. Can you tell Tyler to do the same?"

"I don't know where Tyler is."

"When did he leave?"

"I thought he went home, but Mrs. Lockwood called yesterday to speak with him. Why can't I let you in?"

"Just don't. I'll explain later. Promise me Matt; don't invite me in."

"Alright, I won't."

"How's Caroline?" I asked before he could ask anything else.

"She's getting better. She was bleeding pretty bad internally, but the doctors got it to stop. Where have you been? She's been asking for you and every time I call you, it goes straight to voicemail. Your aunt is really worried."

"I can't find my phone," I admitted. "Did Jeremy wake up?"

"Last time I checked he was out of the coma, but he was still sleeping."

"Thank you for checking on him."

"You're welcome." He yawned and then spoke again. "I just got in from the hospital not too long ago."

"Get some sleep," I told him and hung up after saying goodbye. I called Alaric next and he answered on the first ring. "It's Elena," I said.

"Where the hell have you been?" he asked in a quiet voice. "Your aunt is freaking out and we can't get ahold of you, Damon, or Stefan."

"I don't know where Stefan is. Katherine locked Damon and me in the tomb last night," I said and explained what had happened. "The last time I saw Stefan, he said he was going out to feed."

He was silent for a few moments and I looked towards the door of the bathroom. Damon had left it open a crack. My cheeks flushed and I turned the other way quickly. "I'm sure he's okay."

"I hope so. Tell Jenna I'm safe and I'll come by the hospital later tonight. Katherine took Damon's ring."

"I'll tell her you called. Jeremy's still not awake yet. Katherine hasn't been around here either and the doctor hasn't said anything about you visiting."

"Thank you. Okay, you can go back to sleep now."

"If you need anything, call me."

"I will," I said and hung up. I scrolled through Damon's phone to see if he had John's number, but he didn't. I put the phone on the island and then leaned forward with my head on my arms to wait for Damon to be done with his shower. I sat up again and grabbed the phone, deciding to call Stefan myself. My heart skipped a beat when I heard his ringtone coming from the back porch. I knew I should have waited for Damon, but foolishly, I got up and opened the door. Stefan's phone was at the top of the stairs sporting a cracked screen and a dying battery.

I walked onto the porch to get it and when I stood back up, a hand wrapped around my wrist and dragged me back into the house. Before I could scream, I looked up, only to see Damon slamming the door shut. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" he snapped.

I caught a glimpse at his exposed skin and it had blistering sunburns in various places that were already beginning to heal. When I realized he was only in a towel, my eyes snapped upwards to his face and stayed there. "I called Stefan and his phone rang. No one can get ahold of him either. I think Katherine has him."

"Next time, let the phone ring and wait until it's safe to go outside."

"It's just as safe in here as it is out there," I pointed out. "If Katherine wanted me that badly, nothing would stop her. Stefan went out to feed. What if she did something to him?" My jaw tightened and tears welled in my eyes. "What if he's out there dying? She might have his ring too!"

He held me to him while I sobbed, thinking of all the things that could be happening to Stefan. "There's nothing we can do right now," he whispered as he stroked my hair.

I pulled away and turned my back on him so that I was facing the door. I had a plan; it wasn't a smart one, but I needed to find Stefan and I knew with all my heart that he was close and he was in trouble. "I know."

"I'm going to get dressed and we'll find something to do okay?"

"Fine."

He stayed put, contemplating if he should say anything else or not, and then I finally heard his footsteps as he went to the bathroom. As soon as I heard the door shut, I bolted to the back door, flung it open, and started racing outside. "Damn it Elena!" I heard Damon yell. I looked back to see him standing in the door way in his jeans looking the angriest I had ever seen him.

I wanted to tell him I was sorry, but I turned to look at what was in front of me and kept running. I strained my ears with their heightened sense of hearing for any signal of Stefan. I took a deep breath and gagged on the scent of blood. It was rich and metallic and hung in the air as if it were fresh. I stopped and closed my eyes to find the direction it was coming from and continued on. Just as I went to put my right foot down to avoid a tree root, something crashed into me and I went down with a scream. I landed on my back and when I could see clearly, there was a wolf standing over me. It's snout was caked with blood and other things I didn't want to think about. "Tyler?" I breathed and it growled.

"Hello Elena," came a cold, calculating voice. My heart stopped for a moment and I looked past the wolf to see Katherine; that sadistic grin plastered on her face.


	11. Chapter 11

ELEVEN

"Where's Stefan?" I asked, trying to ignore the wolf that was still standing over me. I was more worried about him slobbering than anything else at the moment.

"How did you get out of the tomb?"

"I asked first."

She glared at me and then rolled her eyes. She leaned forward to touch the side of the wolf and barked an order in another language. I watched it back away from me and sit at her side. I slowly got to my feet, keeping my eyes on Katherine. "Stefan is safe."

"I think we have different definitions of safe."

She grinned and inclined her head. "Now answer my question."

"We found a crack in the tomb and Damon broke through."

She laughed, her eyes sparkling. "Damon isn't that strong."

I shrugged. "It's what happened. Where exactly is Stefan?"

"Stefan is with me. Like I said, he's safe."

My breath caught at that. "What did you do to him?" My voice was tight and it was giving away my emotions.

"I didn't do anything to him that he didn't want me to do," she assured me, flashing that cruel smile my way as she made her way towards me. She slipped something into my pocket, but didn't tell me what it was and I was too afraid to look for myself. I straightened in fear as she walked behind me, her hand trailing across my shoulders as she circled me. "Stefan was so distraught when you ran off with Damon that he came to me, _begging_ me to take him back."

"You're the one who locked us in the tomb. Did you tell him that?" I asked and whirled around to face her.

She grabbed my throat and squeezed. Just when I thought she wasn't going to let go, she did and I stumbled back while I gasped for air. "I told you I wasn't going to share them with you."

"They don't want to share _you_ as it is," I said, rubbing my throat, making sure she saw the ring on my finger.

She stared at it and then smiled again. She reminded me a little of Damon when she did that, the way he had been before he decided to switch his humanity back on. "Then I guess I'll have to kill all three of you."

I shook my head, that smug look draining from her face. "You won't kill them because you still can't decide which one you want."

"Neither can you," she returned and then lunged for me.

I shut my eyes and when nothing happened, I opened them to see the wolf had tackled her to the ground. It's teeth were firmly locked onto Katherine's shoulder and she was fighting him off to the best of her abilities and yet he wasn't letting go. I took that opportunity to run as fast as I could back to the boarding house. I tripped a few times, but miraculously didn't fall. When I burst out of the tree line, I looked behind me to see the wolf bounding after me. I reached the door with shaky hands and flung it open before dashing inside. I went to shut it, but the wolf jumped inside before it closed. He skidded across the floor and turned towards me when he got his footing. I dropped to the floor and covered my head with my hands, waiting for him to land on me. When nothing happened I looked up and jumped at the sight of him crashing into the wall on the opposite side of the room. When the wolf slid to the floor with a yelp, he turned into Tyler; lying there knocked out cold.

I screamed when something lifted me by my underarms and pinned me to the door by raising my arms above my head. "Elena, stop, it's me."

I stopped thrashing around at the sound of Damon's voice and looked up at him. "I'm sorry."

"What the hell were you thinking?"

"I don't know," I breathed, gasping for air in order to keep my hysterics to a minimum. "I don't know," I repeated and tears leaked from my eyes as I realized how close I had come to being killed by Katherine. "I'm so sorry."

"Are you hurt?"

I shook my head, getting his shirt wet with my tears. "Tyler knocked her down before she could go after me."

He tensed and tightened his hold. "Katherine?"

He adjusted his hold so that he could carry me to the kitchen counter and check me for any injuries. "Tyler knocked her down so I could get away."

We both turned to look at my friend who was still passed out on the floor. "He knocked her down?" he asked, turning back to look at me.

"He bit her shoulder. Is it bad if he ingested her blood?"

He shrugged, "I don't really know much about them, but if it makes humans stronger, I can only imagine what it might do to a werewolf."

I looked at Tyler a bit longer before looking back at Damon. "He needs clothes. Probably something to eat."

"If he had her blood, he won't need anything to eat," he assured me, placing one hand on either side of me. "What did she have to say?"

My eyes dropped from his gaze to focus on my hands in my lap. "She told me where Stefan is," I said softly.

"And?"

I was determined not to break down anymore, but I could feel the tears cascading down my cheeks before I looked up at him again. "She told him you and I ran off together. She said he went back to her."

He raised one hand and gently cupped my jaw. "It doesn't matter what she said Elena, ninety-nine percent of the things that come out of her mouth are lies."

I shook my head lightly, "I would rather have him safe with her than dying somewhere by himself."

His brow arched. "Really?"

"No," I mumbled in defeat. "I want him here with me."

He dropped his hand and leaned in to kiss my forehead before pushing himself away from the counter. "Stay here, I'll be right back with clothes for him."

"Thank you," I breathed, sliding to the floor. I went to Tyler's side and knelt next to him. He had blood on his face, around his mouth and dripping down his chin. His chest rose and fell in even movements and my hands wandered over him to see if he hand any injuries. Damon returned with an armful of Stefan's clothes. "He went after me first and seemed to be obeying her and then at the last moment he attacked her."

Damon dressed him while I went to get a wash cloth and a bowl so I could clean him up before he regained consciousness. "If it's his first change, his surroundings and the familiar will be unknown to him. It could've had something to do with the fact that he thought she was you until she tried to kill you."

"I didn't think of that," I whispered as Damon picked him up and carried him to the couch in the living room. I knelt in front of the couch so I could wipe the blood from his face that was already starting to dry.

He began to stir and Damon pulled me to my feet so he could stand guard in front of me. Tyler's eyes opened and for the first few moments his eyes were a strange mix of hazel and golden brown before they returned to his normal brown. He sat up quickly and looked around. "Where the hell am I?"

"You're in my house," Damon answered.

I stepped around him and Tyler stood up when he saw me. He crouched and snarled. "You!"

"It's me; Elena," I said and held my hands out in front of me. "That other girl, her name is Katherine and she's dangerous."

He slowly came out of his crouch, looking from me to Damon and then back again. "She looks _exactly _like you."

"I know," I said wearily.

"How is that possible?"

"It's a long story," I mumbled and Damon came to stand beside me.

"What do you remember?" Damon asked.

"I was outside Matt's house just to let him have some space and then you came up to the porch. I don't remember what happened next, but the next thing I knew, I was running behind you in the forest and then I tackled someone to the ground. Then there were two of you and- This is confusing."

Damon and I both nodded. "You're not the only she's fooled before."

"When she attacked Elena, I saw her move insanely fast and I went to stop her. I started chasing you to tell you it was okay, but you kept running."

I looked at Damon and he nodded. "I wasn't sure it was you?"

"How did you not know?"

"You were a wolf at the time. A wolf I thought was trying to kill me."

His face turned white and he shook his head furiously. "You're crazy."

"Tyler, it's true. You're a werewolf. It's why you crashed your car and-"

He cut me off by taking a big step forward causing Damon to push me behind him again. "Ever since you started dating the new kid..." he fumbled with his words and ran his hands through his hair. "Crazy!" he snapped and then ran for the front door.

I went to follow him, but Damon grabbed me back. "Let him go."

"He _bit_ her Damon. If she finds him, she'll kill him."

"I really don't give a damn about him. I'm supposed to keep you safe and I can't do that if you keep running off on me."

I nodded and he let go of my wrist. "Do you think Katherine was lying about Stefan being with her?"

"If she is telling the truth, it confirms that my brother is nothing but an idiot."

I narrowed my eyes and tilted my head. "I'm not following."

"If he believed that you would just run out on him like that... without saying anything; let alone run away with me, then he truly is an idiot and you deserve better. I would say he could be doing the same as Bonnie, pretending to go along with her plans, but Stefan was never that clever when it came to Katherine."

I stepped away from him and shrugged. "Maybe she's not lying. He's accused me more than once that something was going on between us. He's the one that slept with me _before_ telling me I looked like a carbon copy of his first love." I made a face of disgust and shook my head. "I should've left him when I had the chance."

"Hey, you're exhausted, worn out, and stressed beyond belief. You just need to sleep."

I shoved him away when he came up behind me and whirled around on him. "Don't tell me what I need to do," I snapped. "Stefan left me and that's all there is to it. Congratulations, you got what you've wanted all along. You win."

I saw him roll his eyes at me, adding a touch more anger to my already bleak mood. "Your mood swings are really starting to annoy me," he muttered and used his enhanced speed to catch me before I could move away from him again. "This is not what I want Elena. You're not thinking clearly."

"Don't-"

He cupped my face and our gazes locked. "You have had a long day. You need to sleep. You don't know for sure if Stefan left you for Katherine." When he stopped speaking, I felt my entire body relax and he removed his hands slowly.

I blinked and shook my head. "You're right, I'm just tired. I didn't sleep that much last night."

He nodded and held out his hand for me. "Come on, I'll stay with you while you sleep."

He led me upstairs to his room. He shut the door shut behind him and turned down the covers while I took off my shoes. "I'm sorry I ran out of the house like I did. I know it was stupid, but I thought Stefan was out there."

He nodded and tucked me in before laying on top of the covers next to me. "Just don't do it again. You really scared me."

I yawned and snuggled against the pillow. The feeling of his fingers running through my hair was soothing, making my body feel even more tired than it already was. "It won't happen again," I promised and closed my eyes, drifting quietly off to sleep shortly after.


	12. Chapter 12

**a/n: ah! exactly one month!**

TWELVE

I felt refreshed when I woke up; more refreshed than I should have. While I got my bearings, I let my eyes wander around the room. I didn't recognize anything and yet it was strangely familiar. Something stirred behind me and I looked down to see a hand draped over my waist. As I moved to look over my shoulder hoping the arm belonged to Stefan, I gasped as something dug into my hip. Damon's head popped up with curiosity written on his face. I pulled myself into a sitting position and dug around in my pocket for whatever was poking me. My fingers closed around the object and I pulled it out. Damon snatched it from me quickly. "Have you had this all along?" he asked, putting his ring back on his finger.

I shook my head in confusion before I remembered one small detail and then made an O with my mouth. "Katherine slipped it into my pocket. Sorry I didn't give it to you earlier," I said and lay back down this time facing him with my head propped up on my elbow. "Did you compel me to sleep?"

"You aren't supposed to know that, but yes," he answered and his face hardened in anticipation of my anger.

"Thank you."

"What?"

"I was hysterical and I did need sleep in a real bed. I know Stefan isn't with her willingly; if he's with her at all."

"What else did she say to you?"

"She said she wasn't willing to share, that if she couldn't have you both then no one could. She said she was going to kill all three of us."

"She won't."

"What makes you say that?"

"Because she isn't done with us yet. She still hasn't made up her mind."

I grinned lightly. "That's what I told her."

"I bet she liked that," he teased.

"Why did she come back in the first place?" I asked. "No offense, but I know it wasn't for you and Stefan."

"Revenge. It's why I came to town, but unlike her, I do have roots. I did help found this town. I was born here, I died here, and I started a new life here. It's part of me. To her, it's a place where she lost her power and got caught because she couldn't control one of her lovers."

My eyes widened. "Stefan was the one that gave her away," I breathed.

"She doesn't know that. If they had targeted only her she would have known instantly but only you and I know that detail. She's back to get the founding families, especially the ones that are still on the Council. I'll bet you anything that Isobel mentioned your involvement with us and that's what brought her back so soon."

I rolled my eyes and laid back on the pillow. "Great, so she's after me and my family first and foremost." I saw him nod from the corner of my eye and I burst into laughter. "Thanks, that didn't help."

"You're feeling better," he observed.

I nodded and turned to lie on my stomach, folding my arms underneath my head to prop it up enough to see him over the pillow. "I feel a little guilty for feeling as good as I do."

"It has something to do with my blood still in your system."

"Good to know."

He smiled and turned onto his back with his hands behind his head. "Alaric called while you were sleeping. He said Jeremy's awake and he's asking for you."

I sat up and got to my feet quickly. "Then why are we still here? That should have been the first thing out of your mouth," I said after going to his side and grabbing his arm in an attempt to pull him out of the bed. His eyes were laughing at me but he got out of bed and we headed downstairs. We piled into his car and began driving to the hospital. "Has Katherine been there?"

"Alaric didn't mention it. I don't think she'll go after him just yet."

"Why? She certainly didn't waste any time going after us."

"I'm sure she has her reasons."

"Any idea where she might be hiding?" I asked and his jaw tightened.

"I've been thinking about that too. She might be at the place where Pearl was hiding or where Isobel was staying."

The mention of my birth mother's name brought back the memory of her words and they resonated through my head for a moment. "It's still weird."

"What is?"

"That you and my birth mother were...together."

"Elena-"

"I know, you're not sorry and have no regrets."

"Actually I do regret that one very much." I looked at him and narrowed my eyes. "She was obsessed to the point where it wasn't cute anymore. It consumed her life and the want to turn was so strong that she lost the ability to see the bigger picture. She abandoned her human life for the wrong reasons and thinking back on it now, I never should have turned her. Especially since she was working with Katherine and had a connection to you. If she weren't your birth mother, I probably would have killed her when I went to see her."

"She gave birth to me, that's the only connection I have to her. By all means, feel free to kill her next time."

"Oh believe me, I was planning on it."

I turned to look out the window and sighed, tracing patterns on the glass with my index finger. "If I had known that you turned her instead of just killing her, I wouldn't have yelled at you that night."

"No, you still would have," he said. "You were angry with me until the minute you met her."

I nodded after thinking that over. "Very true."

"You weren't supposed to agree with me," he muttered despite the smirk on his face.

We parked in front of the hospital and then walked into the waiting room. I approached the nurse's station and waited for the woman behind the counter to finish her phone call. "What can I do for you?" she asked sweetly.

"I'm here to see Jeremy Gilbert."

She nodded and checked a chart. "Third floor room four."

"Thank you," I said and headed for the elevator.

I was anxious to see him and worried that he only wanted to see me to blame me some more. "Would you like me to wait in the hall?" Damon asked.

I looked up at him in surprise, having momentarily forgotten that he was there. "Not at first. He might just yell at me some more."

"I highly doubt it," he said as he gestured for me to leave the elevator first.

Before I could say anything else, Alaric came out of one of the rooms and stopped when he saw us. "It's about time."

"He didn't tell me right away," I said and nudged Damon slightly.

He nodded and we followed him into Jeremy's room. Jenna rose from her chair and dashed across the room to hug me. "Where have you been? Is your phone off?"

"I don't know where it is," I admitted to her.

She sighed and stepped back. "We'll give you some space. Damon," she said as she passed him.

"I'll be right outside the door," Damon said and closed the door behind him.

I sat in the chair Jenna had vacated and took Jeremy's hand in mine. "Why did you do this Jer?"

I could see that he wanted to pull out of my grasp but he didn't and I was glad. "First I lost Vickie and I didn't even remember it thanks to the two of you. Then I meet Anna and fall in love with her too. When Damon told me she was dead I just...I don't know. I fell apart. I know what it looked like, but I wasn't trying to kill myself."

"Right, you tried to turn."

His eyes searched mine and he shifted in the bed. "Damon told you?"

"He's the one who woke Jenna and had her take you to the hospital. Why did you want to turn in the first place?"

"So I could shut my feelings off. Do you know how hard it is to have been in love twice and then have it ripped away from you?"

I looked from him to the door and shook my head. "No, I don't."

"Don't get mad at Damon for talking to me about it."

"I'm not mad at him. He was opening up to you, I'm just glad you're not mad at me anymore."

"I still am," he said, but with a hint of a smile. "I don't know when I'll be able to forgive you, but you're still my sister and I've said some horrible things to you that I should never have said."

I jumped slightly when I felt a teardrop fall onto my arm. "I just wanted to protect you."

"But you can't do that all the time."

"I know." I took a deep breath. "There's so much I have to tell you, but I don't know if you're up for it yet."

"Alaric told me about the fire that the Council started in Dad's building. He also mentioned a girl that looks exactly like you but isn't you."

"Her name is Katherine and she's very dangerous. You know the necklace I always wear?"

He nodded and glanced down at my throat. "Which you're not wearing now," he pointed out.

"She took it from me. She has it on her neck to trick people into thinking it's me. She's a vampire and she's out for revenge. Just don't trust me unless you know it's me."

"How do I know it's you that I'm talking to now?"

"Damon's with me."

"I noticed. Why is that? Where's Stefan?"

"Not sure," I said quietly and stood up. "There's one last thing I have to tell you. It's about Anna."

"What about her?"

"You know John's part of the Council and he was responsible for the vampires burning up in the fire right?" He nodded grimly and I continued. "Damon was there but he managed to escape with Stefan's help. John staked Anna before he even started the fire. To make sure that she couldn't get out and come after you."

As if on cue, the door jerked open to reveal John. I stood up quickly and glared at him while Damon came in behind him and shut the door. "You killed her?" Jeremy asked in a burst of anger.

He glared back at me, angry that I had told Jeremy about Anna. "I had to. She was involved in your life and I will not have that in my family," he said looking directly at me.

"Good thing I'm not your family then," I sneered and grabbed Jeremy's hand again. "I told you to leave."

"You're the child in this situation Elena, I am the adult."

"I find it funny that you go out of your way to kill the vampires we're involved with while you allow Isobel to live. Why didn't you kill her while she was here? Oh right, you're still in love with her."

He took a step in my direction and Damon blocked his way. "I think you should go," Damon said.

"Your mother and I don't want this life for you Elena."

I turned my back on him and listened to Damon hustle John out of the room. "I think I missed something," Jeremy said once it was the three of us in the room.

"Isobel, the woman who kidnapped you, she's my birth mother."

His eyes widened. "Really?"

"Here's the best part; John is my father."

He blinked a few times and then moved to stare at the wall straight in front of him. "So we're still related."

"That's all you have to say?"

"That's all I can think of," he muttered and looked back at me.

I patted his head and leaned down to kiss his forehead. "It's late and I've probably overloaded you with information for the night. Just remember what I told you about Katherine and you'll be fine."

"Will you come by tomorrow? I think they're letting me go home."

"Um, about that. Katherine was in the house. Jenna is staying at Alaric's so you might want to go there until we can get rid of her."

"We'll figure it out tomorrow. Thank you for coming to see me. I'm surprised that you did after all the things I said to you."

"You said it because you were hurt; I knew you didn't mean it," I said and ruffled his hair. "I'll come by tomorrow," I promised and Damon opened the door for me. "That went well," I said as we waited for the elevator.

"You think so?"

"Things between Jeremy and me are back to normal. I don't care about the rest. Where did Alaric and Jenna go?"

"They went to get something to eat." I looked at him in alarm and the elevator opened. "In the cafeteria. Would you like to join them?"

"Sure, I am kind of hungry anyway." I pressed the button for the lobby and we watched the doors close.

I turned towards him and reached up to cup his face. I pulled his face down so that I could kiss his cheek. When I released him, he looked at me with curiosity and shock. "What was that for?"

I shrugged. "For being here."

He grinned, "That's what friends are for."

"I know, but you could have decided I was too much of a burden and-"

He cut me off my putting his index finger over my lips. "You're not a burden. You're in this mess because of Stefan and me."

I looked up at him and waited, but neither of us moved. We were frozen in place, afraid that if we moved it would spoil the moment. As he began to move his head towards mine, the doors opened. My eyes flickered towards the opening and did a double take at the sight of Stefan. He stared at us in disbelief for a heartbeat before he turned and walked away. My heart shattered and I pulled away from Damon to run after him. I stopped near the door and looked back at the eldest Salvatore, feeling guilty for leaving him. I took a deep breath and pushed the door open to go outside and face Stefan.


	13. Chapter 13

**a/n: anyone else watch the Teen Choice Awards? ...I hate Twilight... Damon totally should have won the hottie award!**

THIRTEEN

"Stefan! Stefan wait!" I called after him as I chased him down to the end of the building. He stopped, but kept his back to me. I circled around him until I was standing in front of him. As much as I wanted to hug him I decided against it from the look of pure anger on his face. "That wasn't what it looked like."

He looked at me and I could practically see the steam coming from his ears. "It looked like he was going to kiss you." His voice was strained as he tried to keep from yelling. I returned his stare but couldn't say anything to prove him wrong.

He nodded and brushed past me. I turned after him, tears welling in my eyes and put my hand on his forearm. "Stefan, I-"

In the blink of an eye he had his fingers wrapped around my wrist and his fangs were beginning to show. "Katherine told me you ran off with him."

"And you believed her? She's done nothing but lie-"

"She's not the only one!" he hissed and let go of my wrist roughly. He took a step back from me as though just being near me made him sick. "Of course I didn't believe her, but I thought if I played along I could find out what really happened and save you. Whatever happened couldn't have been too traumatic because you look fine."

"She locked us in the tomb," I blurted forcing myself not to cry. "She _killed_ me and left me in my room and pretended to be me so she could shoot Damon with vervain. She brought us to the tomb and compelled Bonnie to lock us in."

"How did you get out?"

I hesitated on answering. The last thing I wanted to do was lie to him, but if he went to Katherine and told her that Bonnie wasn't really under her control, I had no doubt in my mind that Bonnie was as good as dead. "Damon found a crack in the stone and we managed to break through," I lied weakly and he shook his head.

He turned and raked both of his hands through his hair to cool down before looking at me again. "She told me she came back for me; that she always loved me a little more than Damon. I told her that I didn't want anyone but you." His eyes hardened and I felt a tear slide down my cheek. "At least she had the decency to be open about her feelings."

"I'm not sleeping with Damon!" I yelled in a broken voice.

"But you have feelings for him."

I could only stare at him, unsure of how I could answer that without lying and hurting his feelings. "I love _you_ Stefan," I whispered, wiping tears from my face.

He pursed his lips and looked at me with disappointment. "You're just like her. I might as well be with her since she's the one with her mind made up."

"She didn't _choose _you Stefan!" I yelled. "This is all part of her latest game where everyone is a pawn; it's just a matter of time before she kills everyone around her."

"Then tell me you don't love him." I opened my mouth to tell him that I didn't love Damon and to my horror nothing came out. He hung his head in defeat briefly and looked back up at me. "You wanted us to take a break, but I think we should just end it."

"No!" I shouted. My body was beginning to tremble as my world came crashing down around me. "That's not what I want at all. Stefan, I love you!" I went to hug him and was surprised that he let me. I clung to him as if letting go meant death.

My heart beat erratically in my chest as I felt his mouth move to my ear. "I thought you did too," he breathed and pulled away from me. "I wanted so much for you not to be anything like her, but I was wrong. Katherine and I were meant to be, no matter how much I tried to fight it."

I wanted to beat the sense back into him and lash out for believing her over me, but before I could even react to his last words, he vanished into the night. I was a wreck; tears clouded my vision and drenched my cheeks while my knees buckled from the intense trembling in my legs. I was expecting to hit the ground but the impact never came. Instead, I was held in place by strong arms and my head was resting on a silky shirt now wet with tears. I knew it was Damon by the scent that filled my nose. "Please don't start," I whispered through sobs and he nodded against the top of my head.

"I wasn't going to," he breathed, gently stroking my back in hopes of comforting me.

"Elena?" came Bonnie's voice. Damon and I both turned our heads to look at her. "Oh my God what happened?" she asked as she came over to us from the entrance to the hospital.

"I think you should go home with Bonnie tonight," Damon said softly as he pulled away.

Luckily my legs were holding me up at this point and I wiped away the tears that had spilled. "Don't."

"Don't what?" he asked as Bonnie moved closer to me and studied me to make sure I wasn't physically injured.

"Just let me go see Caroline and we'll go home," Bonnie said, sensing I needed to talk to Damon.

"Don't go after him," I pleaded.

"I wasn't planning on it," he said and from the look in his eyes I knew he meant it. "He's not worth the effort." That made what was left of my heart shatter. There was pain in his eyes that I had only seen when he discovered Katherine hadn't been in the tomb. So much for the chance of ever patching up the relationship of those two.

"Why are you sending me home with Bonnie?" I asked, surprised that my voice was as strong as it was. Inside I was experiencing a roller coaster of emotions and abandonment was high at the top. It was one thing to be cast aside by Stefan, but Damon was doing the same thing at the moment. It was too much in such a short time.

"Because you're emotionally compromised and I can't promise that I won't use it to my advantage. Not when I know we were so close before," he whispered.

"What?" I breathed, not sure I had heard him right.

"While I absolutely love taking girls on the rebound, I don't want to hurt you even more. It's already been proven that I can't say no to you. I'm strong, but I'm not _that _strong."

That left me feeling conflicted. I wasn't sure if I should be angry with him for thinking I would automatically jump into bed with him just because Stefan had smashed my heart or grateful that he was doing the smart thing by putting distance between us. At the moment it was fifty-fifty because either way I looked at it, he was right. I had never been in this situation before. When I broke up with Matt it didn't feel like he had taken my heart out and stomped on it like Stefan had done. "I don't have my phone," I said after a few minutes of staring at the ground while I thought about it.

"I'll just call Bonnie if something happens and she'll have my number should you need it."

"How?" I asked, risking a look up at him.

"I'm going to exchange digits with her."

Only Damon could find humor at a time like this. I tried to smile, but ended up looking back down at the pavement when I couldn't. "Caroline asked to see you, but I told her we'd come back another day," Bonnie said as she walked up to us.

"I need your number and you need mine," Damon said as he handed her his phone. She gave him hers and they programmed their numbers in the other's phone. "Stay indoors as much as you can," he said mostly to me and then looked at Bonnie. "Stefan is no longer on our side. If you see him, run."

"Are you safe at the boarding house?" Bonnie asked, causing both of us to look at her with surprise.

"Not exactly, but I'll be fine," he said and tore his eyes away from mine before walking to his car.

My heart grew heavy as I watched him walk away and I closed my eyes when he disappeared around the corner. "Elena?" Bonnie asked cautiously.

I looked at her and nodded before walking with her in the opposite direction to her car. "I'll explain everything when we get to your house."

"Are you hungry?"

"No," I replied and put my hand over my stomach. I had been hungry earlier, but now the thought of food made me a little queasy.

We drove in silence. I had my feet on the seat with one arm wrapped around my legs to hold them up. I propped one elbow up on the ledge of the window and leaned my head on my hand. My eyes were closed as my mind went over the events of the past few days over and over again. "We're here," Bonnie said quietly and I followed her from the driveway up to the front door. Once we stepped inside the house I felt a relief I hadn't felt in days. Just knowing that no vampires could get in here without permission was enough to nearly make me weep.

We went up to her room and lay shoulder to shoulder staring at the ceiling with our feet resting against the headboard like we always did. "Where should I start?"

"How about the things that happened tonight."

I thought about it and I could already feel the urge to cry again. I told her everything that had happened today, starting with Katherine and Tyler in the woods. When I got to the part about Stefan, I began to choke up. She reached for my hand and laced her fingers with mine. "He saw me getting off the elevator with Damon and took off. I went to find him and he left me; for _her_. Even though she lied to him. Again."

"That was a big mistake on his part. She's only using him."

"That's what I told him," I breathed and used my free hand to wipe away a few more tears.

"Can I ask you something?" Bonnie asked after a few minutes of silence. I nodded and she turned her head towards me. "Is there something between you and Damon?"

"I don't know. Lately I've been feeling something for him, but I don't know what exactly it is. He's said it himself that he's a womanizer. How do I know that he won't discard me when something better comes along like he did with everyone else? I am human and he gets bored with us so easily. Look how he treated Caroline."

She smiled lightly and shook her head. "You're not Caroline."

I turned my head to narrow my eyes at her. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that I still think he's a monster, but he is in love with you."

I rolled my eyes. "Why does everyone keep saying that?"

"Because it's true and the fact that you've considered the pros and cons of being with him is proof that you feel something for him that goes beyond being friends with your boyfriend's brother."

"Ex," I said bitterly and looked back up at the ceiling.

"You know what I mean," she said dryly.

I sighed heavily. If Bonnie, of all people, could see this from a few interactions between us then there must be something to it. I closed my eyes as I remembered how I felt when Stefan disappeared and compared it to how I felt while watching Damon walk away. My heart felt heavy and fragile all over again at that mental image and my eyes snapped open. I wasn't sure when it happened but it had.

I was in love with Damon.


	14. Chapter 14

FOURTEEN

I woke up without the memory of having fallen asleep. It took me a minute to recognize the room as Bonnie's and felt someone stir behind me. I lifted myself up on my elbows to look over at Bonnie, still fast asleep. Our backs were touching as we faced opposite directions. I looked out the window and sank back against the pillow. Either I hadn't slept that long or I had over slept because there was only a little bit of light spilling into the room. I slipped out from under the covers and went to the window to peer outside. I made a face at the rising sun. I hadn't gotten that much sleep after all. I sighed and let the curtain fall back into place while I went to Bonnie's closet to gather some clothes that I could change into after taking a shower.

I did a had to look twice when I caught my reflection in the mirror. Had I been at my own house I wouldn't have hesitated at the urge to smash the glass into pieces. I straightened up and my face hardened before I tore my gaze away and removed my clothes. I turned on the water and let it warm up before stepping inside. While I shampooed my hair, I thought of everything Stefan had said to me last night. Instead of feeling empty and sad I felt angry and annoyed. If he wanted to be with Katherine after all she had done to him and Damon there was nothing I could do to change that. I had told him the truth about everything. She had lied to him about Damon and me running away together when she had really locked us up in the tomb. I came clean with my feelings for Damon even though I hadn't been completely aware of them at the time. I shook my head to clear my thoughts before I started to cry again. Damon was right; Stefan was no longer on our side and he wouldn't be until it was too late.

When I finished my shower, I towel dried quickly and dressed equally fast. I decided against using her blow drier since I wasn't exactly sure how early it was and let my damp hair dry naturally. I did borrow her eyeliner before gathering my clothes and going back to her room. I folded them and set them down in front of the bed before taking her phone from the nightstand. The clock read seven am as I flipped the phone open and headed downstairs to the living room. Bonnie's mother was there getting her briefcase together and stopped when she saw me. "I didn't know you were here," she said with a light smile.

"Bonnie and I ran into each other at the hospital last night and she brought me home with her."

"No need to explain. You're always welcome here Honey," she said and came over to hug me. "I'm so sorry about your brother. I heard he's doing fine though."

I nodded. "He's awake and he'll be released soon."

"Good to hear," she said and patted my shoulder before returning to her briefcase. "I have to get to work. There's plenty to eat in there," she added nodding in the direction of the kitchen.

"Thank you," I said and waved as she left. That meant Bonnie and I were alone which was fine with me. The less people I had to keep secrets from, the better. I sat down on the couch, careful to keep my wet hair from touching the fabric, and scrolled through her contacts for Damon's number. I sat there, staring at his name, unable to dial the number. I had come to the conclusion that I loved him, but at the same time I wasn't sure if it was the grief talking or if it the feeling was real. If it was real, it seemed awfully fast. My shoulder's sagged in defeat at the realization that I really wasn't any better than Katherine. Much to my disdain, I was in love with them both.

I closed the phone and stood up deciding to get something to eat after all. Maybe an entire carton of ice cream or something else unhealthy would get my mind off of things. The moment I stepped away from the couch, Bonnie's phone began to vibrate in my pocket and I answered it to Damon. "It's Damon," he said.

I smiled at that. "Because the caller ID would have been too obvious?"

"Well good morning to you too," he said in a sarcastic tone. "I thought you would still be asleep."

"Me too," I said and returned to the couch.

"How are you?" he asked in a softer voice.

I thought about my answer before giving it. "I've been better. You were right to send me with Bonnie last night."

"While I love to hear that I'm right, may I ask why?"

"Because I would have said a lot of things that I didn't mean and I'm pretty sure I would have tried to run off on my own again."

"Is that all?" he asked with a touch of disappointment.

I laughed and rolled my eyes. "I guess you'll never know," I said with a grin on my face. I could envision the glare that he would be giving me if he were here. "Am I allowed to come by today? I need to talk to you about something."

"Can't say it over the phone?"

"I'd prefer face-to-face, but I can tell you part of it now."

"I'm listening."

"I'm not the kind of girl that gets so distraught over getting dumped by her boyfriend that she does something stupid she'll regret later. I know it's not the end of the world and I'm not going to start jumping into bed with people just to get over him. Stefan left and I can't do anything about it; I get it."

"Elena, you don't get over your first love that fast. I know you're still in love with him."

"I didn't say I was over him; I said I know we're over. I just want you to know that I can be around you and not get clingy or need to jump your bones to either get back at him or feel better."

"Are you sure?" he teased.

"Damon, I'm trying to be serious," I said although I was struggling to keep my laughter contained. "All I'm saying is that right now, I need a friend; a best friend."

"You're with Bonnie."

I looked down at the floor and sighed. "At one time we were inseparable, but things have changed; we're not that close anymore. I had a talk with her last night that reminded me of how things used to be, but it feels awkward being here. It's like we're trying too hard to be friends; to be something we just no longer are."

"What are you saying?" he asked, playing coy.

"I'm saying that I think I have a new best friend. You and Bonnie are the only one who know what's really going on but you're the only one I can talk to about, well, everything."

He was silent for a moment and my heart beat wildly in my chest while I waited. "I have a few things to do that I can't do if you're with me."

"I'll come over in the afternoon then."

"That should work."

"See you later," I said and shut the phone slowly, staring off into space. That was strange. Talking to him was comfortable and calming; just like it used to be with Stefan. I shook that thought away and sat back against the sofa, holding the phone in my hands, my thoughts jumbling in my mind until it was a string of incoherent slurs. I brought one hand up to rub my temple to get rid of the headache that was sure to turn into a migraine soon enough if I didn't stop thinking about the past few days. I stretched out on the couch, lying on my stomach, and put a pillow beneath my head. I turned on the TV having traded the phone for the remote on the coffee table. I found a cartoon that I hadn't seen in ages and shut my mind off to watch it.

The next thing I knew, someone was shaking me lightly and I opened my eyes to see Bonnie standing over me. "Hey," she said and smiled lightly. I sat up and stretched before leaning forward to rest on my knees while Bonnie took a seat next to me. "I didn't want to wake you, but Caroline called throwing a fit because you haven't come to see her."

I smiled at that. I knew she wasn't truly angry with me, but I did owe her a visit. "Does she know about Jeremy?"

"Of course she knows. You think you're up for another trip to the hospital?" she asked, putting a hand on my back.

I nodded, "Jeremy's supposed to be going home today anyway. I promised him I would be there. What time is it?"

"Almost one. Did you talk to Damon this morning?"

I nodded and stood up. "I'm going back to the boarding house after the hospital."

"I'll take you over there."

"Thanks. Um, I'll eventually get your clothes back to you," I said as I watched her grab her purse from the coat rack behind the door.

She laughed. "I think the shirt's yours anyway."

I looked down and shrugged. "Who knows anymore." The minute I stepped out of the house I had that fear back in the pit of my stomach and I knew I had to be extremely cautious. The ride to the hospital was fairly silent because I was too nervous to really listen to anything she had to say. We decided to visit Caroline first and when we got there, Matt and Tyler were in her room.

Tyler stood up quickly at the sight of me and all eyes rested on him. "Tyler?" Matt questioned before looking quizzically my way.

I shrugged, "Can we talk in the hall?" I asked Tyler.

I didn't wait for his answer before leaving the room. Reluctantly he followed me and carefully shut the door behind him. "How do I know it's you and not her?"

I grabbed his hand and put it over my heart. His eyes turned hazel for a few seconds before he snatched his hand back. "Can you hear my heart beating?"

"Yes," he growled and it sounded only slightly human. He cleared his throat and nodded, his eyes going back to normal. "Yes," he repeated in a normal voice.

"That's how you'll know. I'm sure you can hear it if you concentrate."

"I am not a-"

"Yes, Tyler, you are. If you don't stop pretending that everything is normal, you'll just get yourself killed!" I hissed and went back inside to see Caroline.

"It's about time you came to see me," she teased as I went to her side and hugged her gently.

"I've been a little busy," I said, equally teasing her.

"How is he?"

"He's supposed to be going home today. What about you?"

"I've got a few more days here. Where's Stefan?"

I pulled away from her and bit my lower lip, deciding to ignore her question about Stefan. "You'll have to let me know when you're home because I will come over, okay? I have to go see Jer."

I hugged her again and then headed out of the room, the feeling of their eyes on my back haunted me as I got to the elevator and pressed the button for the third floor, one floor beneath Caroline. Alaric was sitting in the hall beside the door and he leapt to his feet when he saw me. "Elena, didn't Damon tell you about Jeremy earlier?"

He was testing me. I smiled and shook my head. "I was with Bonnie all night."

"Why?" The look on his face said Damon had filled him in, but he wanted to be sure that I was Elena.

"Because Stefan went back to Katherine," I said tightly. "What are you doing in the hallway?"

He nodded, deciding that I was Elena and began to fill me in. "They're not actually releasing him today. They said something about a psych evaluation and some counseling before they can send him home. Jenna's in there too since he's a minor and all."

"Maybe tomorrow?"

"If all goes well today then he should be home by this time tomorrow. Well, my house anyway. I'm starting to regret getting a condo."

I smiled, "I would offer the boarding house to him but it's not safe there."

"It's fine. It's not a permanent thing and I would rather have them safe and in my sight at all times."

"Thank you. Um, I'm going back to the boarding house soon so if anything changes, give Damon a call."

"Do you need a ride there? Jenna will be fine by herself for a little bit."

I shook my head at the idea of them unprotected and then I stopped. Jeremy had been here for three days and nothing had happened to him. "If you wouldn't mind."

"Is Bonnie still here?"

"Talking to Caroline. Can I use your phone?" He handed it to me and went inside to tell Jenna he was leaving for a little bit. Bonnie answered on the first ring. "Hey, it's Elena. Alaric is going to take me to the boarding house. Can you please tell Caroline how sorry I am? I just couldn't talk about Stefan."

"I was going to tell her."

I lowered my voice and made sure no one was around before I told her. When Alaric came back into the hall I said my goodbyes. "Alright, I'll call you later," I said and hung up. I handed the phone back to him and we headed for the elevator on our way out to the car.


	15. Chapter 15

FIFTEEN

"Can I ask you something?" Alaric asked as we pulled out of the parking lot.

"Sure."

"Would it be weird if I started dating your aunt?"

"Because you're my history teacher?"

A grin played at the corners of his mouth as he shook his head. "No, because technically I'm your step father." We both made a face at that statement and he laughed softly. "Okay, that sounds incredibly weird out loud."

"I never even thought of it that way. Technically speaking, Jenna's not my aunt. It might be weird for Jeremy, but I think you're exactly what she needs."

"Well thank you," he said and looked at me. "You do remind me of her a little."

My brow quirked up. "Isobel? Really?"

"Obviously I'm not speaking of how she is now, but before she became obsessed with the supernatural. One day she was vibrant, strong, and full of life and the next day she was consumed with all of this. She stopped being rational and started lying; manipulating everyone and everything around her. Then I found her dead body in our bed..." his voice trailed off and he smiled quickly. "Sorry, I know you have enough things to deal with right now. I'm sorry about Stefan, by the way."

I shrugged and stared out the windshield. "His choice. If it would make you feel any better, you can talk to Damon about Isobel."

"I've tried that and all I got were some snarky comments."

I sighed, "If I'm there he might give you straight answers."

He shook his head. "I know now that she sought him out, not the other way around. She wanted it, now she's going to have to live with it."

"I did ask him about it before. Do you want to know what he said?"

"I want to say no, but I can't."

I smiled. "He said that had he known she was my birth mother and that she was connected to Katherine, he never would have agreed to even _meet_ her."

"So other than that, he doesn't care."

"Right." He looked at me with a raised brow and I shrugged. "He's not a saint and it's not like he's trying to hide it."

"I will never understand why you're friends with him."

"He's different when he's with me. He's not always a pompous ass."

"I find that _very_ hard to believe."

"Trust me, I'm still getting used to it," I said as we pulled up to the boarding house. "Thanks again for bringing me here."

"Do you want me to walk you in?"

"No, I'll be alright," I replied and got out of the car.

"I'll call you tomorrow to tell you when they're releasing Jeremy."

"Thanks," I said and shut the door. I waved before walking up to the front door and watched him drive away before I went inside. I stopped dead in my tracks at the sight of the interior. It looked as though a tornado had ripped through the house. From what I could see of the parlor and the living room, there was furniture overturned and stuffing strewn about the room like snow. "Damon?" I called out softly, my heart hammering in my chest at the thought of what could have happened here. I took another step forward, cringing at the crunch of glass beneath my feet. I looked down to see shards of glass that littered the floor. I shut the door carefully and began walking again, trying to keep my calm while I entered the parlor. I made my way to the table that usually held the liquor to find that it had been broken, the bottles smashed with the liquid staining the floor. "Damon?" I called out again, hoping that he would just answer me. I heard something break and I covered my head with my arms. After a few moments, I went to follow the sound and ended up in the living room. It was in the same state as the parlor; ruined and completely destroyed except that Damon was standing in front of the fireplace. His back was to me and he appeared to be staring at the hearth, a bottle of scotch in one of his hands. I thought it strange that he hadn't moved to acknowledge my presence. I was cautious when I called his name again, on the off chance I was able to startle him. "Damon?"

This time he heard me and confirmed that I had caught him off guard. He moved faster than my eyes could follow, replacing the bottle in his hand with my throat. I reached up to try and pry his fingers off because they were cutting off my air supply. His fangs were out and his normally light blue eyes were darkened in bloodlust. As much as I wanted to prove that I wasn't afraid of him, I couldn't keep my fear away. I tried to speak but nothing came out but the sound of choking and gasping for air. When I started to see black spots in my vision, I noticed that his eyes were returning to their normal color. His fangs retreated with a _snick_ and he let go of my throat with a look of shock mixed with horror on his face. "Elena?"

I moved away from him, rubbing my throat lightly, wincing as I touched it. I gasped for air and waited until my nerves had calmed enough so I could look at him again. Luckily the ring on my finger healed my throat in under a minute. When I finally did look at him, my intention to be angry disappeared from the look on his face. He was standing perfectly still as if he were afraid that any movement would send me running for the hills. His eyes were begging for forgiveness; enabling me to understand what had happened. "You thought I was Katherine," I breathed.

"Elena, I'm-" he started and moved towards me only to stop when I flinched away unintentionally. His eyes hardened and he stepped back. His hand slipped into his pocket and came out with my keys. He held them up and then tossed them to me. "You should go."

I ignored him and put the keys in my pocket. "Did she do this?"

He stared at me for a moment and turned to pick up the bottle he had set down before going after me. He took a long drink from it and wiped his mouth. "I did."

I stared at the back of his head while he rested it against the mantle of the fireplace. My heart dropped when I realized what must have happened. No wonder he had lashed out at me. "Damon," I breathed and forced my fear to take a backseat while I picked my way carefully over the debris on my way to him. I gently took the bottle from him and set it down on the floor behind me. As I looked up to see his face, I had to force my jaw to stay closed because the sight of a single tear rolling down his cheek was enough to make me lose it. I had never seen him cry before; never thought I would see him cry. Ever.

Before I could stop myself, I reached out to wipe it away and he closed his eyes, his body tensing yet again. "You should go," he repeated in a cold voice.

"I'm not leaving you like this," I said stubbornly, letting my hand fall back to my side slowly.

His jaw ticked for a moment and he pulled away from me. "Damn it Elena, I don't want you here."

"That's a lie," I said and started after him.

He turned back to me, grabbing my shoulders and shaking me a little as if it helped me understand things. His fangs were out again as were the thin veins that streaked his cheekbones. This time he was deliberately trying to scare me and I was determined to not let it phase me. He let go of my shoulders but made no other movement. I raised my arms up and cupped his face, smiling faintly at the confusion in his eyes. "I'm not afraid of you."

"I could smell your fear from across the room," he muttered. His voice sounded strange as he spoke around his fangs.

"You can put those away; I'm not going to run," I said, gently tracing his bottom lip with my thumb. I purposely let my flesh touch the bottom of one razor sharp tooth just to see if he would lash out again. I felt a wave of triumph as his fangs receded back into his gums and his eyes went back to normal yet again. "Thank you."

His hands went up to cover mine and slowly pulled them away from his face. His eyes bore into mine with an intensity I had never felt before. "If you had any sense, you would run from me."

"Sorry, fresh out," I whispered, unable to look away from him.

He stood there for another heart beat to make sure that I wasn't going anywhere and then leaned in. His lips touched mine softly, still unsure if I was going to run or not. The moment that he realized I was staying, he put all of his pent up energy into kissing me. His anger gave way to raw passion that was enough to set my entire body on fire. His fingers dug into my sides to the point where there would be bruises as mine clutched at the material of his shirt, balling it in my hands. I moaned against his lips as he deepened the kiss even more; a shudder cascading down my spine. The feel of his fingers against my bare flesh as they slid up my shirt brought back the little voice in my head telling me to stop. Reluctantly I listened to it and tore my lips from his. It was an abrupt movement and luckily I didn't end up clunking heads with him. I released his shirt so my hands could rest flat on his chest while I tipped my head down. He pressed his head against my shoulder, his fingers gently resting on my hips. After my head stopped reeling with desire, I stepped out of his grasp and took his hands in mine before he could walk away.

"Tease," he mumbled faintly.

"If you're not going to be my rebound, I'm not going to be yours," I said softly, trying to hide my smile. That familiar glimmer of wit was back in his eyes as he stared at me, the ghost of a smirk on his kiss-swollen lips. The humor drained away from me as I asked, "Now will you tell me what happened?"

The light in his eyes died immediately and his hands slipped from mine. "She was here," he admitted. "She was waiting for me when I got home from the blood bank. For a second I thought she was you and when I couldn't detect a heartbeat I went after her." That explained why the house was in shambles. "She told me she came back for Stefan; that she never really loved me at all."

I had to look twice at him because his voice sounded nothing like Damon. Even when I first met him, his voice had never sounded so cold and damaged. I studied his face and my heart melted; he was letting me see his vulnerability. "You said it yourself, she's a bitch. She didn't; she _doesn't_ deserve you. Or Stefan."

His lips curled into a snarl at the mention of his brother's name. "Stefan," he said with an equal amount of bitterness and betrayal. "Saint Stefan," he mocked and turned away. "He always had everything."

"What do you mean?"

"Father always let him have everything easy. I had to work for everything. He made me join the war when I refused to go to school and yet Stefan did neither. Katherine chose him. _You_ chose him."

I couldn't argue much with that one. "Well, I made a mistake," I mumbled under my breath. I saw the quick smile touch his lips before he turned and grabbed the bottle of scotch from where I had put it. "Is that why you wanted me to go? Because of the resemblance?" I asked, finally understanding his mood.

He had the same look on his face that a child does when their hand is caught in the cookie jar before dinner. "I'm not sure how to answer that," he said before taking a drink.

"I understand if you do; you're afraid you'll lash out at me."

"I think I already have," he said sourly and took yet another drink.

I ignored that statement and looked at him, watching him drown his sorrows. "I would tell you that I know what you're going through, but I don't. Though, as your friend, it is my duty to make you feel better."

He smirked as he gave me a once over. "Is that a promise? Because you were on the right track a few minutes ago."

I rolled my eyes and took the bottle from him before he consumed the last few swallows. I raised it to my lips and finished off the bottle, grimacing as the liquor burned its way down my throat and into my stomach. "My mother used to clean when she was depressed."

He looked around and then rested his eyes back on me before grinning from ear-to-ear. "Are you trying to tell me that I'm messy?"

"No, not at all," I replied, my voice dripping with friendly sarcasm. I shook my head and straightened up. "Seriously though, cleaning calms the nerves and mine are one panic attack away from killing me."

"So we're two broken hearted people alone in a big empty house and you want to clean," he said slowly.

I nodded sternly and smiled. "I'll let you be in charge of the music."

He gave a short laugh that rumbled out of his chest and made me feel a little better. He stepped forward and grabbed my chin lightly, turning my face to the side so he could lean in and kiss my cheek delicately. "Thank you," he whispered, his breath tickling my ear, making my breath catch.

I cleared my throat as he stepped back and smiled. "Where do we start?"


	16. Chapter 16

SIXTEEN

Damon flopped down on the couch, the one item in the room that hadn't been too damaged. I shook my head and continued to the back door in the kitchen with the last garbage bag. It had taken us about seven hours to finish the living room, but at least it was done. As I passed him on my way to shut off the radio, he grabbed my wrist and pulled me onto his lap. I gasped from surprise and dissolved into laughter once I had settled down. "I've had enough cleaning for one day," he stated. My aching body agreed with him and I nodded. "It will still be there tomorrow."

I groaned at both his words and the fact that my stomach growled. "Do you have anything to eat?"

"For me, yes. For you, no."

"Then I guess we'll just have to go out for dinner."

"Like a date?" he asked, his eyes filled with arrogance.

"Like two friends going out for dinner," I said pointedly and slid off of him so that I could stand. I moved away from the couch so I could stretch out my already stiff muscles.

"Do you have money?" he asked, getting to his feet gracefully.

My arms fell down to my sides gently. "No," I said, trying to think of the last time I had seen my purse.

"I'm paying; I'm calling it a date," he said as he smirked at me while heading to the front door.

I sighed and followed him out to his car, sliding into the front seat after he opened my door for me. "Did cleaning help at all?" I asked once we were on the road.

"All I could think about was how I could be paying someone else to do it."

I rolled my eyes and smiled. "Feel free to do that with the parlor room."

"I was planning on it," he assured me. "Did it help _you_?"

I was concentrating on the ache in my body rather than the one in my heart. "A little I guess. It's a bit counter productive when someone insists on dancing to every other song."

"Hey, we still finished the room didn't we?"

"Yes," I said reluctantly. "And now I don't have to watch my step or wear shoes all the time."

He grinned at me. "I would be delighted to clean up any cuts."

Just the mention of him drinking my blood brought back the memory of how it felt in the tomb. My hand went to my neck absently and rubbed the spot that he had bitten. I cleared my throat and looked out the window. "Where are we going?" I asked to change the subject.

"Really?" he asked playfully. "I wasn't aware that there were that many places to eat in this town."

I had to agree with him, it was a stupid question. "The wonders of a small town."

He parked on the side of the Grill and before I could blink, he was opening my door for me. "I can do that on my own, you know."

"What kind of a gentleman do you think I am?" he asked lightly and offered me his arm.

"Gentleman?" I teased while I linked my arm with his. He pretended to look hurt as we walked into the restaurant and secured ourselves a table. It was a slow night, allowing us to place our orders rather quickly, leaving us plenty of time to talk.

"This morning you said you had something to discuss with me."

I grabbed the straw and twirled it around in my glass, stirring the ice. "It isn't that important. It can wait." I could feel his eyes on me, radiating disbelief. I sat back and decided to change the subject. "Look, I can't thank you enough for letting me stay with you, but we both know I can't stay there forever. Even Alaric's hospitality can only last for so long."

"You have two options. You can either move or tear the house down and rebuild it."

"I was thinking something a little less drastic," I mumbled. "I think Jeremy would have a major problem with both options."

"Just Jeremy?"

I smiled lightly. "I guess not just him. All of our childhood memories are there. Not to mention the memories of our parents."

"I didn't say you were going to like the options," he said, a bit of humor in his eyes.

"I just wish that she would hurry up and make her move. She keeps telling us that she wants us dead, but she has yet to do anything. It's not like she hasn't had the opportunity."

He shifted in his seat and I felt bad for bringing up Katherine. "At the moment, she's setting up the pawns in her game. She always liked to show off. She's just biding her time until the _right_ opportunity comes along."

"That would have been the Founder's Day celebration."

"Isobel was working for Katherine. She let John use the device which meant Katherine wanted the tomb vampires gone. They wanted revenge too, but knowing Katherine, she wanted the town to be at her mercy and hers alone."

I snorted. "That's just so screwed up. She has no problem being shared, but God forbid _she_ have to share with anyone else."

He smiled in approval. "And you've only just met her." His phone rang and he looked at the caller ID before sliding it across the table. "It's for you."

I answered it and held it up to my ear. "Hello?"

"Hey, it's Bonnie."

"Everything okay?"

"Yeah, um, I went with Matt to see Tyler and his mom and she said that they were having a memorial and the funeral service at the end of the week. From the way she was talking, the entire town will be there."

My eyes locked with Damon's and from his expression he was thinking the same thing I was. "Everyone?"

"Maybe not everyone, but he was the Mayor so I can imagine the turn out will be pretty large. Anyway, I thought you should know."

"Thank you," I said wearily.

"Elena?"

"I'll explain later."

"Thanks for calling me to let me know you're alright by the way."

"Right," I said and closed my eyes. "Sorry, I got busy when I got back to the boarding house."

"Busy?"

Damon grinned and leaned forward more. I made a face at him before replying to Bonnie. "I promise I will tell you everything tomorrow. Right now I'm exhausted." Damon's grin widened and I felt my heat rise to my cheeks.

"You better," she said and I could easily imagine the grin plastered on her face.

With that, I hung up and returned the phone back to Damon. I put my elbows on the edge of the table and placed my head in my hands. "That funeral is just going to end up as a bloodbath," I muttered, knowing he could hear me.

"It would be the perfect setting for her revenge, but it might be too obvious for her taste."

I shook my head as much as I could and then adjusted so that I could look at him. "So what can we do?"

"You're not going to like this suggestion either, but I think we need to talk to John."

I groaned, the mention of his name left a bad tasted in my mouth. "Why?"

"He's on the Council. They believe that they got rid of their vampire problem and as a result created a bigger one. If he tells the Council about Katherine, they might be able to help take her down."

The waiter came and gave us our food, momentarily putting our conversation on hold. The moment he walked away, I continued. "The whole point of you being on the Council was to lead them off of your trail correct?"

"I'm not going to out myself."

I looked down at my plate. "No, you'll just point fingers in Stefan's direction."

"So? If he's on her side then he has to deal with the consequences."

"What if she made him come back to her?" I asked, pushing my plate away from me. I was hungry yet I didn't feel like eating.

"Vampires compelling each other is very rare and hard to do. Granted, it's right up her alley, but I don't think it's necessary where Stefan is concerned. I know you don't want to hear this, but my brother is with her because he wants to be."

"I just want to be completely sure that he's there because he wants to be. Since he'll be fighting with her, there's a good chance that he'll get hurt. I just couldn't forgive myself if died for the wrong reasons."

He nodded, "I've already taken that into consideration."

"Really?" I asked and he shrugged instead of elaborating further.

He reached across the table to push my plate towards me. "I know you're not feeling like yourself, but you need to eat. I loathe anorexics."

I smiled and ate one of the fries, forcing it down with some of my drink. "I don't know if I can."

"I'll compel you if I have to."

"You wouldn't."

I gasped as he shot into the booth next to me, holding my chin with one hand. "Care to wager on that?"

I pushed him away playfully and sighed. "Fine, I'll eat."

"And then we'll go see John," he said as he returned to his side of the table. I groaned and began to eat. "Think of it this way, he owes you for what he did to Jeremy."

"He owes Jeremy, not me and he won't see it that way."

"You have the ring, he doesn't. He'll do it or I'll make him do it." His voice gave me chills, reminding me just how dangerous he could be.

"Are you sure we just can't go home and sleep?"

He glanced at his watch. "It's only nine o'clock." He looked back at me with a grin. "Unless you have a better idea for tonight?"

"Sleep," I repeated, grinning back at him. "Do you even know where he lives?"

"Of course. I make it a point to find out the whereabouts of people trying to kill me." I looked at him and he shrugged. "With a few exceptions." I nodded, unable to think of anything else to say, leaving us to finish our meal in silence.

After Damon paid the bill, we headed back out to his car and began to drive. As we approached the condo complex just outside of town, I looked at him. "I thought we were going to see John?"

"We are."

"Doesn't Alaric live here too?"

"If you don't have a house, you live in the condos," Damon quipped as he parked in the guest lot. I followed him up to one of the buildings and waited off to the side while he knocked on the door.

John answered the door and did a double take at the sight of Damon and me. "What?" he asked gruffly.

"We need to talk," I said, walking up to the door.

He adjusted himself to block me from entering. I ducked under his arm having anticipated his movement and turned to face him. "Invite him in," I demanded, daring him to put up an argument.

He glared at me for a long moment and when he realized I wasn't going to back down, he turned to Damon, a sour look on his face. "Come in," he said tightly as if he would have rather jumped off the roof than ever invite a vampire into his home.

He smirked arrogantly as he strode into the room, shoving John out of his way. "We have a business proposition," Damon added.

"I don't do business with vampires."

"You did with Isobel," I reminded him.

He stared at me for what seemed like a long time just to see if he could break me. He closed his eyes and turned to head towards the kitchen when he realized I wasn't going to back down from this either. "What is it?"

"Bonnie just told me that Mrs. Lockwood is having the funeral for Mayor Lockwood next week and that the entire town might be there. If everyone does show up, I have reason to believe that Katherine might do something. She's here for revenge on the founding families and with all of them gathered in once spot, it would be too much for her to resist," I explained.

"What do you want me to do about it?"

"We want you to inform the Council about Katherine and have them prepare for the worst."

He looked at both of us and shook his head. "If they find out that you've known about this, I can't guarantee that you'll be safe."

"You don't have to tell them that Elena's involved."

"Then how am I going to explain Katherine's resemblance?" John asked and I looked at Damon for the answer. "I don't even know how to explain it without telling them that you and Stefan are vampires."

"If you don't tell them about us, I won't tell them that you're working with Isobel," Damon returned.

John stared at him and then looked at me. "Where is Stefan?"

I looked down at my feet and let Damon answer. "He's with Katherine. If you see him, I recommend that you take him out as well."

"When did this happen?"

I looked up to meet his eyes. "Yesterday. Look, if I have to tell the Council myself, I will. I can vouch for Damon and they will listen."

"What makes you think that?" John asked.

"Because you're going to vouch for him too."

His lips curled up into a smile and he shook his head. "The hell I will," he said and began to walk away.

I went after him and grabbed his arm. "You owe me."

"I don't owe you anything."

"You owe me for lying to me my whole life. You owe me for trying to kill Stefan and Damon. Most of all, you owe Jeremy for killing someone he loved; someone who was trying to protect him."

He pulled away from me roughly. "I lied to you because Grayson is a much better father than I ever would have been."

"No argument there," Damon muttered.

John's eyes flickered past my shoulder at Damon's comment and then back to me. "You had a better life because I let my brother raise you. If my brother were alive, he would have made damn sure that Damon and Stefan burned with the others. That's assuming that he wouldn't have killed them earlier. I was going to let them live; Isobel was the one that told me to add them to the list."

"What?" I asked softly, taking a step back from him.

"We don't want this life for you Elena. Can you honestly tell me that you would want an eternity with either one of them? Stefan left you for Katherine; he was only ever with you in the first place because you look liker her. Who's to say Damon isn't doing the same thing? That he won't leave you the minute Katherine changes her mind?"

It was incredibly silent in the room after he said that. I hadn't thought of it that way, and it stung, knowing he was right. I shifted my weight and then straightened up. "If you won't go before the Council to save the town, we'll do it for you."

I turned and walked towards the door, keeping my eyes on anything other than Damon. "I'll do it," John said the moment my fingers touched the handle. "On one condition," he added when I turned back around.

"What is it?" Damon asked for me.

"I will vouch for Damon and go before the Council about Katherine. Once we get rid of her, you and your brother have to leave. You'll have no contact with anyone, especially Elena, and you will never come back. That's the only way I'll help you."

"That's outrageous," I hissed at the same time Damon said, "I'll do it."

I turned to look at Damon, "_What_?"

"I'll arrange a meeting tomorrow at Elena's. I'll call you with a time," John said and walked past both of us for the door and opened it. "Now get out."

I hurried out of the condo and back to Damon's car. "Elena, I-"

"Just drive," I demanded, opening the passenger door roughly before throwing myself into the seat. When he started the car, I turned the radio up loud enough so we wouldn't have to talk and he didn't turn it down.

When we got to the boarding house, I walked briskly from the car into the house. Damon stopped me at the foot of the stairs by holding my biceps, firmly keeping me in place. "Will you let me explain?"

I was on the verge of tears and I wasn't sure that my voice could handle talking. I shook my head and pulled out of his grasp. "I don't want to talk about it. Not right now," I said, surprised at how strong my voice was.

I bolted up the stairs and stopped at the top. I was torn between which room to go into. I didn't need any reminders of Stefan, but I was angry with Damon. I sighed and headed into Damon's room. I stood by the bed and then leaned forward to grab a pillow and toss it to the floor. I did the same with the comforter and looked up to see Damon in the doorway. "What are you doing?"

"You can either sleep on the floor or on the couch," I answered as I removed my shoes and got into bed, crawling beneath the sheets. I lay on my side, holding the pillow under my head. I heard him moving around behind me, but resisted the urge to turn around and apologize. I closed my eyes, feeling a few tears hit the pillow. John's words echoed in my head to the point where they were deafening until I drifted off to sleep.


	17. Chapter 17

SEVENTEEN

I felt a little better when I woke up having slept through the night without dreaming. Judging from the light coming in from the windows, it was relatively early. Damon wasn't in the room, but when I got up to go to the bathroom, I found my stuff in front of the shower with a note on top. All it said was that he was downstairs. After I threw the note away, I took my time getting ready for the day. I took the longest shower of my life, using all the hot water in the process and spent an incredible amount of time on my hair and make-up. I was doing everything I could to avoid going downstairs. As much as I needed to talk to him about his agreement with John, I didn't want to. I took one last look in the mirror, inhaled deeply, and left the room to face him.

"Morning," he said as he handed me a cup of coffee when I sat on one of the barstools at the island.

"Morning," I returned and just put my hands around the mug.

"Are you still angry with me?" he asked from the other side of the island.

"Depends, are you still going to agree to John's conditions?"

"It's the only way he'll help us. I would have compelled him if he wasn't full of vervain."

I nodded, tapping the cup lightly. "Then yes, I'm still mad at you."

He came to stand by my side and removed the cup from my hands before pulling me to my feet. "Elena, I think you know me better than that. Of course I'm not going to skip town on you."

"You always keep your word."

"To you," he said softly. I closed my eyes and stepped away from him, my hands slipping out of his. "That's not what's getting to you."

I shook my head and finally looked up at him. "I loved Stefan the way I've never loved anyone before. He made me feel complete, like I had found my better half. It's like he ripped my heart from my chest and made me watch while he stomped on it."

"Elena, I know how you feel," he said and stepped forward.

I took a step back and he stopped moving. "I feel something for you Damon, I do, and I know you feel the same way but John said exactly what's been running through my mind. If Stefan hadn't gone back to her, we'd still be together. You and I wouldn't have had the moments we've shared, I would have made sure of it."

"Elena-"

"Can you honestly tell me that if she hadn't come here and told you what she did that you wouldn't still be hoping she'd choose you?"

"That doesn't matter anymore."

"Yes it does," I said stubbornly. "I don't want to start something with you because Stefan left me and Katherine left you. That's a horrible reason for two people to get together and it will always be there between us, that 'what if' feeling. It's not fair to either of us."

He was staring at me with a puzzled look on his face. "I never said anything about being together."

"You didn't have to. It's everything that you haven't been saying; what other people are saying for you."

"And what are these other people saying?" he asked, carefully taking another step towards me.

"Isobel was the first to say it."

"Say what?" he asked, advancing on me until I hit the wall.

His body was inches away from mine and while neither of us moved any more, I could feel the tension building between us. "I need to hear you say it," I whispered, my voice sounding small and timid. "I need you to confirm it so that I don't feel like an idiot."

He reached up to stroke my cheek with a featherlight touch, his eyes sparkling with desire. "Isobel may have said it first, but I wasn't aware of it until then."

"Aware of what?" I breathed, smirking at the fact that I was now asking the questions.

"My feelings for you," he returned, bringing his head closer to mine. "Even before Katherine I was never this nice to anyone. Then you come along a hundred and sixty some years later and I found myself wanting to go out of my way to keep you happy. Even if that meant sitting back and watching you be with Stefan." He paused to grin and his hand moved to the curve of my neck. "Granted, I tried anyway, but to see the way you care for everyone selflessly made me want to be better for you. So yes, to answer your question; Elena Gilbert, I am so helplessly in love with you, it's making me crazy."

I blinked up at him in surprise. I had been expecting a simple yes or no; not a declaration of love. My heart faltered at his words once they started to sink in and I felt tears of happiness beginning to form. It was all happening so fast that I felt strange at the thought of loving Damon back. It was still less than forty-eight hours ago that Stefan left me and here I was with his brother. I parted my lips to say it back to him, but he closed the gap between us and pressed his lips onto mine. While his hand cupped my cheek, my hands moved to rest on his hips. This kiss was nowhere near the magnitude of the one we had shared in the living room, but it was still intense. His hand fell away from my face and I moved my arms so they could wrap around his neck, my fingers sinking into his hair while he lifted me up so I could wrap my legs around his waist.

One of his arms went underneath me as the other went behind my back for support so he could move away from the wall and set me on the island. I unlocked my ankles so he could get closer to me and my hands trailed down his face and shoulders so I could start undoing the buttons on his shirt. Once I had gotten the last one, I put my hands on his abdomen and slowly moved them upwards, exploring his muscles and the surprisingly warm skin beneath my hands. My fingers trailed down his sides before sliding behind him to pull him even closer. His hands were resting on the tops of my thighs, moving every once in awhile. As his hands started to slide up my legs and out to my hips, the sound of his ringtone cut through the air, startling us both.

He broke the kiss, leaning his forehead against mine while reaching for the phone in his pocket. He stood up straight to talk and I put my head on his chest, smiling as his free arm slid around my back. "Hello?" he asked in a very annoyed tone. His body tensed as he listened. "Eight is good for both of us," he replied and hung up.

He set the phone on the counter and I sat back, leaning on my hands so I could look at him. "Was that John?"

He nodded. "Eight is the time he called for the meeting. We'll go early and wait in your room."

I looked past him at the clock and my eyes widened. "We should probably go to the hospital. Jeremy might be getting released and I promised I would be there. Once he's settled would you mind coming to Bonnie's with me?"

"I'm certainly not letting you go alone."

"You did yesterday," I said.

"Yes, and it was a horrible day," he replied dryly and cupped my face so that he could kiss me gently. "Next time I'll be sure to ignore any interruptions," he breathed and moved back so I could slide off the counter then waited for him to button up his shirt.

"Can I use it to call Alaric?" He nodded and handed me the phone before leading me to his car in the garage. "Hey, it's Elena. Is Jeremy leaving today?"

"He's talking to the doctor about the agreement of his release and then he'll be ready. They just started so it might be about a half hour or so."

"Great, thank you. Damon and I are on our way."

"Are you coming with us to take him to my place?" he asked.

"We can. I'm going to my house later today so I'll get some of his things to bring over either today or tomorrow."

"Don't worry about it. I went with Jenna the other day."

That made me worry a little, but obviously nothing had happened. "Alright, we'll see you soon," I said and hung up the phone, giving it back to Damon. "I'm going to see Caroline too."

"Why?"

"I went to see her before coming over here yesterday and she asked me about Stefan so I ran without much of an explanation. I know I hurt her feelings so I have to go see her and apologize. Besides, I need her to wear the ring so that she can be well enough to run in case something does happen at the funeral."

"I will wait in the hall," he said, keeping his eyes on the road.

"That would probably be best," I replied and smiled apologetically in his direction.

We listened to the radio since we had run out of things to talk about. All I could think about was what would have happened if John hadn't called. I was only half sure that I would have stopped him from going any further. I closed my eyes so I could ponder over what would have happened if I hadn't stopped him. "Elena?" came Damon's voice and I opened my eyes to find that we were in the parking lot of the hospital. His eyes were full of humor and there was a slight grin on his face, giving me the distinct impression it wasn't the first time he had said my name.

"Must have dosed off," I muttered, getting out of the car before he could see my reddening cheeks.

"Must have been one hell of dream," he whispered in my ear, making me jump.

"Just keep moving," I said and shoved him playfully as we made our way to the elevator to take us up to Caroline's room. The door to her room was open, but I knocked gently just in case. There was no answer and when I peered around the door, I saw she was sleeping. "Even better. I'll just put the ring on her and then we can go see Jer," I told Damon and crept into the room.

"Be careful," Damon called after me.

I got to her side and pulled the ring off of my finger before gently reaching for her hand. The moment I slid the ring onto her finger, her eyes snapped open and she began to scream. "Caroline!" I hissed and tried to keep her from thrashing around.

Damon rushed to the other side of her bed and held her shoulders down. "She shouldn't be in here!" Caroline shrieked. She shouted other things all in relation to me being evil.

"Katherine," Damon and I said in unison. He cupped her face and made her eyes connect with his. "This is your friend Elena. She is not going to hurt you. Stop screaming."

The panic went out of her eyes and she relaxed in her bed. Two nurses burst into the room and looked at Damon and I. "What's going on in here?"

Damon released her shoulders and we both stepped away from her. "I didn't know she was sleeping and I woke her up. I'm really sorry," I said.

"Miss Forbes needs her rest," one nurse said eyeing Damon as if she didn't trust him.

Caroline was watching him too. I looked at her and smiled. "I'm sorry Caroline. I'll come see you later," I promised and slipped the ring off of her finger.

She didn't seem to notice; she was too busy staring at Damon, trying to figure him out. He looked at her too, "Get some rest," he said, using his compulsion and she nodded while yawning.

"We're sorry," I said again to the nurses as we headed out of her room and to the stairs to go visit Jeremy. "If she got to Caroline..."

"Hey, your brother is fine," Damon assured me, taking my hand in his as we walked down a flight of stairs.

"I hope so," I muttered.

Alaric was standing outside Jeremy's room again when we got there. "Everything okay?" he asked when he saw my mood wasn't as good as it should have been.

"Katherine got to Caroline."

"How?"

I shrugged. "I don't know, but I put the ring on her to heal her and she woke up only to scream bloody murder when she saw me. Damon got her to stop, but it was definitely Katherine's doing."

Before he could ask anything else, Jeremy's door opened and out he came in a wheelchair with Jenna pushing him. "Do I have to sit in this?" he asked.

"It's just policy. Sit tight and be quiet," Jenna demanded, smiling as she began to push him to the door.

"Thanks for coming," Jeremy said to me and nodded at Damon.

"You do realize that when we get to Alaric's, you've got some major explaining to do, right?" Jenna asked Jeremy once we were in the elevator.

Everyone looked down at that. "I know," Jeremy said.

Unfortunately, Jenna noticed the hesitation in everyone's face. "Am I missing something here?"

"No, Aunt Jenna, no one's keeping anything from you," Jeremy insisted. "I really didn't mean to do it."

"You consumed an entire bottle of pain meds," she reminded him and then took a deep breath. We made it to the entrance of the hospital and one of the receptionists took the wheelchair back. "I'm sorry, you just scared me Jeremy. A year ago I lost my sister and here I thought I was going to lose her son too," she said and hugged him.

I cleared my throat as I tried not to think of the accident. "We'll meet you at Alaric's."

"You can ride with us," Jenna said as she released Jeremy.

"I'm good," I said and started walking to Damon's car with him following me. "She really doesn't like you anymore does she?"

"I think the sight of her niece making out with her brother's boyfriend on her porch did it for her."

"Maybe we should explain what's going on to her."

"We'll see how the Council meeting goes," he said, opening my door for me. I sighed, that was the last thing I wanted to do today. Damon got into the driver's seat and off we went to Alaric's.


	18. Chapter 18

**a/n: Okay, this story is finished (not this chapter) but it's in the process of being beta'd. I was planning on not doing another story until somewhere in season two...it didn't work that way. Once this story is complete, I have another ready to go :) (it won't be a sequel to this one though) Just thought I'd give you a heads up. 3-ish weeks left!**

EIGHTEEN

After spending four hours at Alaric's house, Damon was dropping every hint he could think of that he wanted to leave. I decided to put him out of his misery and tracked Jenna down in the guest bedroom saying goodbye to a client on the phone. "Hey, sorry about that," she said.

"It's alright. Um, Damon and I are going to head out."

Her smile faded into a look of concern. "I don't know if you should be spending that much time with him."

"I thought you liked him."

She hesitated, trying to find the right words, but came up short. "I just think it's a little weird. Speaking as a person who has been cheated on, it's not something I want you to go through; on either side."

"I'm not cheating on Stefan."

"You've kissed Damon," she stated.

If only she knew. I nodded, "I'm not denying that, but it was just a kiss."

"No such thing as just a kiss. What did Stefan say about it?"

My jaw locked as I stared at her. "He left."

"Left? Where did he go?"

"No Jenna, he left me. He went back to his old girlfriend since she's back in town."

She stepped forward quickly to hug me. "Oh Elena, I'm so sorry. I didn't know. When did this happen?"

"Two days ago."

She pulled back, her hands resting on my shoulders. "I never would have imagined that kind of behavior from him. Still, I think it's a little sudden for you to be moving on."

"I never expected that from him either and I'm not moving on with Damon," I replied and she put her hands on her hips. I shook my head and headed out of the room. "There was a lot more to Stefan leaving than I'm willing to talk about right now."

"Hey," she said, catching up with me in the hallway and pulling me to a stop. "I figured that, I just want you to be careful. I know what it's like to be broken hearted and I don't want to see you do something you can't take back. I'm here if you need someone to talk to."

I nodded and hugged her briefly. "Thanks Jenna."

We returned to the living room and Damon stood up quickly. "You're going to the house right?" Jeremy asked from the couch.

I nodded and Jenna's eyes widened. "It's not safe there."

I knew it was the compulsion talking, but it was still unsettling. "We won't be there long," I assured her. "What do you need Jer?"

"Can you call me when you get there? It'd be easier to tell you once you're in the room," he said, meaning he didn't want Jenna to hear.

I nodded. "I'll call before we leave. See you guys later," I replied, waving to Alaric as Damon practically dragged me to the door. "My God, could you at least act like you're not bored?" I asked once we were outside.

"My good nature towards others only lasts for so long."

"Good nature?" I asked as I got into the car. He made a face at me to which I smirked even wider. "We still have Bonnie and the Council to see yet. Think you can make it that long?"

"I guess we'll find out," he said and began driving to Bonnie's.

We parked on the curb in front of her house. Her car was in the driveway and I could only hope that her mom's wasn't in the garage; that she wasn't home. "She's not going to invite me in," he said as we walked up the steps to the front door.

"She might," I said wearily knowing that was very unlikely.

I knocked and then stepped back just a little. Bonnie answered the door and the smile vanished from her face the moment she saw Damon. "I'm sorry, but you can't come in."

"Told you," Damon whispered and I rolled my eyes.

"Then can we talk on the porch?" I asked.

"Probably best. Mom's home," she said, shutting the door behind her on her way out. We took a seat off to the side and she stared at me, trying her best to ignore him. I wanted to warn her that the more she ignored him, the more he was going to annoy her on purpose, but I left it alone. "You came to tell me why you sounded oh so enthusiastic about Mayor Lockwood's funeral."

I nodded. "There are a hundred different reasons why Katherine came back and one of them is for revenge on the founding families for trying to kill her. If everyone goes to the funeral, it would be the perfect place for her to attack."

"Everyone was at the founder's day celebration; why didn't she attack then?"

I looked at Damon who was leaning on the railing behind me. He nodded, indicating that he was going to let me do the talking. "Damon said she wanted to eliminate the other vampires so that the revenge would be all hers. If we're right, that's why she let John use the device in the first place."

"If she is going to go after everyone, how do we stop her?" she asked, looking at both of us.

"John arranged a Council meeting at my house. I'm going to tell them about Katherine."

Her eyes jumped to Damon. "Won't that mean exposing yourself to them?"

He nodded. "Yup."

She looked back at me. "You know they're going to try and kill him the moment he tells them. Normally, I would be all for that, but then no one would be able to protect you."

I smiled at the fact that she was willing to see past her hatred, but I knew it was just for my sake. "I got John to vouch for him."

"You did?" she asked in disbelief.

"He said he would help us if-" my throat tightened, cutting off my voice and my eyes went to the ground.

"He agreed to vouch for me if I left town for good when it was over. And that I never contacted Elena again," Damon finished for me.

Bonnie looked torn between being happy at the prospect of him being gone and being sad because she knew it would hurt me. We still had a ways to go on patching up our friendship, but she didn't want to see me hurt either. I studied her for a second and then sat up straight as I realized something. "Bonnie, you're not going to like this, but you can help us."

"I can?" she asked, squaring her shoulders.

I nodded rapidly, my excitement building at my brilliant idea. "The tomb was sealed with magick, meaning the Council had to have known about Emily and what she could do. She was the one who sealed them in, right?"

"Yes," she said slowly.

"The Council didn't know about Emily. They assumed the vampires died in a fire," Damon informed us.

Both of us stood up and I looked back at Damon. "I'm telling the Council that I know their secrets and it's probably going to get me in trouble, but I don't care. If you stepped forward to reveal what you are to them, you could use your power to help us stop Katherine." She opened her mouth to say something, but I rushed on. "You could vouch for Damon too."

She shook her head at that. "Elena, he almost killed me."

"I know that Bonnie. I'm not saying you should be his best friend or anything like that. I'm just saying that you need to tell the Council you're a Bennett witch and you're coming forward to help solve the vampire problem again. We can tell them that the tomb was sealed with magick and the spell breaking was why they got out. If you vouched for Damon they might be more inclined to listen to his suggestions and not want to go after him."

She was glaring at me now, backing up towards the door. "I get that you're friends with him, but that is like asking me to forgive him for almost killing me."

"I'm not-"

"I'm glad that I didn't remove the spell on the device. I am sorry that John missed a few."

She opened her door and I felt my heart shatter again. "Bonnie, listen to me!" I hissed, stepping up to the threshold to prevent her from shutting the door. "I know that you hate him, but don't you think it's more important to get rid of Katherine? Yes, he hurt you, but he was doing that because he wanted to find the girl he loved. I would have done the same thing if I were in his situation."

She continued to stare at me, unsure of what to say. Damon pulled me away from the door and looked at her. "She's not going to help us," he said.

"Bonnie..." I whispered in a plea.

"I'm sorry Elena. I can't," she returned and closed the door softly, leaving me to stare at the door with tears welling in my eyes.

Damon turned me around and I numbly began to walk towards his car. "You wouldn't have gone to the extremes that I did. You care about others too much."

I nodded absently. "Let's hope we never have to find out," I muttered and he nodded in agreement.

We drove to my house in complete silence and then parked in the garage. I stopped once we got inside, feeling like a stranger in my own home. "Elena?" Damon called softly from behind me.

I shook my head and continued forward. "It feels weird being in here. I've only been gone for a few days, but it doesn't feel like my house anymore."

"Once Katherine's gone, you'll feel differently," he said, following me up to my room.

"Stefan's been invited in too. If we get Katherine and he manages to escape, I'm willing to bet my life that he'll come back."

He snorted as he pushed open my door and looked around to make sure it was safe before I came in. "The likelihood of her letting him live without her is miniscule."

"We could catch her off guard," I said and sat on the edge of the bed.

He sat next to me and put his arm around my waist. "Don't count on it," he replied and I put my head on his shoulder, sighing heavily. He leaned back so he could lie down, pulling me with him. His arm remained around my back as he tucked the other behind his head and stared at the ceiling. I turned to lie on my side and rested my chin on his chest so I could look at him. I smiled lightly and then pushed myself up before getting to my feet. "You okay?" he asked.

I nodded and began to pace in front of him. "I just- We-" I groaned in frustration and decided to just blurt it out. "We need to talk about us."

He sat up and watched me as I continued to pace. "What about us?"

"You told me that you love me and I have no doubt in my mind that it's true. I-"

He stood up and cut me off by placing two fingers over my lips. "You don't have to say anything. I told you because I wanted to. I know you feel something strong for me too otherwise you wouldn't have let me say it."

I took a deep breath as his hand dropped. "I just don't want to feel like I'm leading you on; teasing you."

He reached up to cup my face, stroking my cheeks with his thumbs, a light smile on his lips. "You want to take this slow," it was a statement, not a question. I nodded and he inclined his head. "How about this; we keep our relationship purely as friends; until all of this blows over and figure it out after our lives are no longer in danger."

I narrowed my eyes, my mind unable to wrap my mind around his words. "Really?"

He nodded and smirked, that glimmer of mischief in his eye. "I didn't say I love you just to get into your pants Elena. I want you; body, mind, and soul. I'm prepared to wait for as long as it takes to get all three."

My brow arched and my head tipped to the side. "How _friendly_ do you plan on being?" I asked.

He grinned widely at that and leaned in so that his lips were hovering next to my ear. "As _friendly_ as you'll let me be," he whispered, his breath sending shivers down my spine. He moved his mouth to brush his lips over mine and then pulled away. I felt my face turn into a pout before I could stop it and he looked incredibly satisfied with himself. "Now _that_ is worth you getting mad at me for," he whispered and returned to my bed, propping himself up against the headboard.

I looked at the clock on my nightstand and felt a little anxious. "We still have two hours before they get here," I said, going to lie on my bed with my head in his lap. I yawned the moment I got comfortable. "Maybe I'll just take a nap."

"The stress is getting to you," he said, reaching down to play with my hair.

"At this rate I'll probably sleep for a month when everything is over," I mumbled and closed my eyes. "Wake me up before anyone gets here?"

"I was planning on it," he replied, his voice already sounding distant as I drifted off to sleep.


	19. Chapter 19

**a/n: I know people will ask, so I'm going to answer it here. The things that Jeremy asked Elena to bring back to him aren't necessarily important...that being said, enjoy :) thanks for all the reviews!**

NINETEEN

I woke to Damon gently shaking me and sat up to stretch. "Already?" I mumbled over a yawn.

"I heard a car pull up and now someone's using keys."

I made a face at that and sat against the headboard. "Must be John, then."

I shut my eyes against the blur of motion as Damon shot off the bed to tell John that we were upstairs. I got to my feet and hoped that I looked more awake than I felt while I waited for them to come back to my room. "They'll be here soon," John said. "They're expecting Damon to be here, but not you."

"We'll wait here until everyone arrives and then come down to explain the situation."

"You remember our agreement?"

Damon inclined his head while I averted my eyes. "That agreement is void if you're planning to ambush me downstairs."

John's lips turned into a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "It did cross my mind," he said and looked at me for a moment. "But I won't," he added as he departed from the room.

I began to feel the panic settle in when I realized that I was going before friends of my parents; parents of my friends, and tell them that I was in on their secret and I was mostly on the side of the vampires. "Elena?" Damon called softly.

I looked up at him and shrugged. "Some of the Council might never want me in their homes again. Let alone hang out with their children, who happen to be my friends."

"They won't see it that way. Eventually, you would have been a member of the Council. Each generation takes over from their parents at a certain age. It's tradition." I rolled my eye and sat on the edge of the bed. He sat next to me and we waited until John called up for us. It wasn't long before his head perked up and he stood, pulling me to my feet with him. "Show time."

I groaned and led the way down the stairs and into the living room where the Council was waiting. They did a double take at the sight of me. "Elena, you're home," Sheriff Forbes, Elizabeth, said. Everyone in the living room shifted uncomfortably in their seats.

I looked at everyone and smiled. "I do live here," I said, even if it wasn't entirely true at the moment. I looked at John and he inclined his head. I swallowed thickly, feeling only the tiniest bit better when I felt Damon's hand on the small of my back. "John told you about the threat concerning the funeral?" I questioned, my voice surprisingly confident.

"There isn't any-" another person started but I put up my hand to cut her off.

"I'm completely aware that this is the secret Council that has been around since the town was founded. I know that there are vampires and that you're the reason my building burned at the celebration."

Elizabeth looked at John with surprise and anger. "John, you aren't supposed to tell the children until-"

"He didn't tell me," I assured her. "I know about the tomb and everything else you're trying to protect us from. There was one vampire that wasn't in the tomb a hundred and fifty years ago and now she's back to get her revenge for almost being buried alive in there."

"How do you know that?" a man asked.

"Because she came after me a few times already. She locked Damon and me in the tomb a few days ago, but we were able to get out."

"She locked you in the tomb?" John asked, unaware that that had happened.

I ignored him in order to continue speaking. "Her name is Katherine Pierce and she is extremely dangerous. We're not sure how old she is, but she's incredibly strong and fast. She has no humanity in her at all and will kill without any warning. The only thing that we can use to our advantage is that she loves to play games."

Everyone exchanged glances and then resumed staring at me. "How do you know about this vampire? There was no record of one getting away from the original Council."

"There were a few actually," I said, crossing my arms in front of me. "I happen to know about Katherine because she has it out for me and... and because we're related. Since she's been back, she's been posing as me to get certain things."

"How is that possible?" Elizabeth asked.

"Because we look exactly the same. We could be twins or clones of one another," I replied and silence filled the room.

"Why does she have it out for you?" another member asked after the awkward silence dissolved.

Damon stepped closer to me and his hand moved from my back to rest on my side, letting me know that he was ready to speak when necessary. "She was involved with Damon and Stefan Salvatore," I said quietly, looking at no one in particular.

Someone walked into the room and we turned around to see Mrs. Lockwood. "The original Salvatore brothers?" she asked. Her eyes were red from crying, but she still looked like the well manicured woman I had always known. She made her way to sit near Caroline's mother and everyone's gaze returned to me.

"No," I replied and all eyes snapped towards Damon.

"Stefan and I _are_ the original Salvatore brothers," he explained and everyone got to their feet like an angry mob.

John jumped in and stood in front of us while Damon pushed me behind him. "Stop!" he shouted and after a few more minutes of arguing, the house was silent again. "Damon and Stefan are vampires and Katherine is back partly because of them. Elena is right about her being dangerous. I don't like it either, but if we want to keep our children safe, we need Damon's help."

"Our children, not yours!" someone shouted at him.

"You all know I'm adopted. Turns out John is my real father," I said from behind Damon.

From the looks on their faces, they heard me, but they weren't going to say anything at the moment. "We are _not_ taking help from a vampire! We created this Council to get rid of them! They're the reason Richard got killed in the first place!" Mrs. Lockwood snapped.

"Mayor Lockwood was a werewolf." Damon said casually.

That earned another bout of shouting and arguing. "People, listen to me!" John yelled and got their attention again. "I have worked with Damon before and he will uphold his word. He has agreed to leave Mystic Falls for eternity if I vouch for his ability to help us."

"I vouch for him too," came Bonnie's voice from behind us. I whirled around and the sight of her brought tears of joy to my eyes. "My ancestor, Emily Bennett, was a witch who locked the vampires in the tomb. She would want me to help get rid of Katherine once and for all. John is right, we can't do it without Damon's help," she said and came to stand by my side.

"Thank you," I mouthed to her and she inclined her head. I moved out from behind Damon to face the Council as I said, "If he doesn't help us, we're all as good as dead."

They exchanged looks between them and Caroline's mother looked at me sternly. "Can you promise me that no one else will learn of the town's true history?"

I nodded. "I don't want them to know this either."

She looked at Damon with disbelief and then to John before she nodded. "If this Katherine woman is as dangerous as you say, I don't think we could afford to not use Damon's help." The others muttered their reluctant agreements and we began making plans.

* * *

As the Council left my house, I knew they would never look at Bonnie or me the same way again. There was a very good chance that Mrs. Forbes wouldn't let us in her house anymore. I fell onto the couch when it was just the four of us. John and Damon were having a staring contest and Bonnie moved to sit next to me. "Thank you for doing this Bonnie."

"You asked me to remove the spell on the device and I didn't do it. Grams wouldn't have wanted me to do it either, nor would she want me to do this, but as your best friend, I couldn't let you down twice."

"I know you hate Damon and you have every reason to, but thank you," I said even though I was repeating myself. "I'm actually surprised that your father's not part of the Council."

She shrugged. "He might have been, but he hasn't been back in town for awhile. I think the witch gene only passes down through the females in my family anyway. I should be getting home, it's kind of late."

I nodded and walked her to the front door, pulling her into a hug before she left. "Thank you; a thousand times thank you," I breathed.

"You're welcome," she said and I watched her get to her car and drive off.

When I came back into the living room both John and Damon stopped talking. "Don't stop talking on my account."

"John was just reiterating the terms of our arrangement," Damon said stiffly as I stood next to him.

I glared at John; the thought of Damon leaving left me feeling empty even though Damon had assured me it wouldn't happen. "I think you should come clean with the Council about Isobel and the fact that you've been working for her all along."

"With her."

"For her," Damon and I said in unison.

He took a deep breath and straightened his stance. "At some point, you will give me that ring back."

"Don't count on it."

"Elena-"

"You burned down my inheritance, schemed with my vampire birth mother to kill my then boyfriend and his brother, killed my brother's girlfriend, and now you want to kick Damon out of my life. You do realize that you've officially taken yourself off of my good side, right?"

"Vampires-"

"Save it," I interrupted, earning an annoyed glare. I left Damon's side to go to the front door and opened it. "Please leave."

He marched to the door and stopped in front of me. "I know I haven't been the best uncle. I'm not even going to consider myself a father, but I'm trying to protect you. Have you even asked him about all the people he's killed in the short time he's been in Mystic Falls? That number is quite high and the longer he stays, the higher it will be. I don't want you to be another death he brags about to his vampire buddies," he said, looking at Damon over his shoulder.

"Damon is not going to kill me."

"Maybe not, but in the end he will hurt you. And he is going to leave this town," he finished and walked out the door.

I slammed the door shut, keeping my eyes on my shoes as Damon came and wrapped his arms around me. "He's mad because you're trusting a vampire over your own kin."

I shrugged out of his grasp and turned to look at him. "He has a point though. Stefan and I never talked about it, but I knew it was only a matter of time. I'm not sure if I want the life that you and your brother have."

He looked thoughtful at that. "You would make an excellent vampire Elena. Sure, we're the walking dead, but we're all about living life to the fullest. I believe it was a vampire who coined that term in the first place. You have that vibrancy in you, that ability to live life the way it was meant to be lived."

I stepped away from him and walked to the kitchen to get something to drink. "I was talking about you leaving," I said, the weight of his gaze heavy on my back.

"Elena, I've told you already, I'm not leaving you. Even if we remain friends, I'm not leaving."

"Why not? My parents are gone, my birth mother abandoned me, and my real father doesn't even want to be involved in my life unless he's controlling it." I stopped when my voice started to break and cleared my throat. "Stefan left me; at this point I wouldn't be surprised if you did too."

He took the cup from my hand and held me in a crushing grip. "Stop thinking that way. They died; they did not leave you. Don't you dare think that. Isobel gave you a better life by giving you up. She would have been a teenage mother and while some of them make excellent lives for their kids, she wouldn't have been one of them. Stefan is an idiot as I keep telling you and I'm this close to compelling you to believe that I will not leave you." I smiled against his chest, surprised by my lack of tears. "You're absolutely right about John though."

I laughed at that and he kissed the top of my head. I pulled away from him slowly so he could see my smile. "Thanks."

"It's the stress," he said and put his hand on my shoulder for comfort.

His phone rang and he fished it out of his pocket before handing it to me. "Hello?" I asked, answering it to Jeremy.

"Are you still at the house?" he asked.

"Oh, sorry Jer, we just finished up. I'm heading to your room now," I said and Damon followed me upstairs. "Alright, what do you need?"

"My journal for one. I didn't want to chance Alaric or Jenna reading it so I didn't mention it to them. It's in the desk, top right drawer."

"Got it. What else?" I asked and smacked Damon with the journal when I noticed him beginning to snoop. He gave me a fake innocent look and resumed what he was doing. Jeremy told me where to find a few other things and then he was done. "Do you really need this stuff?"

"Just in case something happens, yes, I want it with me," he said. "Thank you Elena."

"You're welcome. Is Alaric still up?"

"Yeah, he's watching TV in the living room."

"Can you tell him we're on our way over?"

"Sure. See you in a few," he said and hung up.

"Why are we going there now?" Damon asked as we went through the house to shut off lights before we left.

"I want to give Jeremy his things and tell Alaric what the plans are. He'll be more useful than I am."

He nodded although he was not happy about admitting it. "Alright, fine." I smiled and nudged him as we headed for the garage to get in the car. "As long as we can leave rather quickly."

I nodded, "Deal." With that, we went to Alaric's for the second time that day.


	20. Chapter 20

**a/n: I know alot of you are wondering when the hell these two are getting together... ;) be patient, it's coming; I'm all about the chase.**

TWENTY

I stood at one of the windows in Damon's room, staring out at the dark grey sky, listening to the rain pounding on the glass. I loved rain, but today was the funeral service and I took this as an omen, that something was bound to go horribly wrong. I sighed and turned at the sound of Damon clearing his throat. I did a double take at the sight of him in nothing but a towel, his hair still dripping wet and tangled. I locked my eyes with his and he grinned from ear-to-ear. "What are you doing?" I asked.

"This is my room," he pointed out. "You're the one who insisted that you wait in here while I showered."

"Yeah, well," I said trying everything not to lick my lips or let my eyes wander. His brow quirked, a sign he was enjoying this too much. "Just get dressed already, will you?" I asked and moved so I was looking out of the window again.

"As you wish," he teased and I heard him walk to his closet.

After a minute of staring outside, he came to stand beside me. I moved my head to look at him. He looked like he always did; black pants, black shirt, perfect for a funeral. "You're hair is dripping onto your shirt," I informed him.

He pointed outside, "Least of my worries. It's a good thing Bonnie doesn't melt in water."

I smiled and shook my head. "Do you think they'll cancel the funeral because of the rain?"

He shrugged. "I have no idea what they're going to do. It's just rain, Elena. It's not a sign or any sort of divine intervention."

"How do you know it isn't?"

"How do you know it is?" he countered and I narrowed my eyes at him. "Either way, you need to get ready," he added and grabbed my shoulders before propelling me towards the bathroom.

I laughed and pulled away from his grasp, gathering my things on my way. I felt a little weird since there wasn't a door in here, but the shower wasn't in direct view of the bedroom. I wasn't sure about the mirror over the sink though. I had been purposely looking the opposite direction while Damon had been in here and now I wished that I had taken a sneak peek. I sighed and tried to not let it affect me, other than to hurry up and get the shower over with. When I was done, I dried my hair as best as I could with the towel before drying my body off and wrapping myself in it so I could rummage through my clothes. I stood up with my clothes in the crook of my arms and cried out in surprise at the sight of Damon. "What the hell are you doing in here!" I shouted.

He looked me up and down before locking his gaze with mine. "I believe it's only fair."

"Get out!" I yelled and groaned in frustration as I stepped forward to shove him gently.

"I'm going, I'm going," he assured me, holding his hands up in mock surrender as he continued out on his own.

I stood there, clutching the towel to my chest, fuming over his invasion, but unable to stop smiling despite myself. When I was sure he wasn't going to come back, I dropped the towel and dressed in record time before heading to the sink to finish getting ready. It took me a total of twenty minutes to do my hair and make-up before returning to the bedroom to scowl at Damon. "That was uncalled for," I said, crossing my arms and tapping my foot.

He looked up at me from the bed and shrugged. "Just be glad I don't have x-ray vision," he replied, hooking his legs over the side of the bed and getting to his feet. "Come on, you need to eat before we go."

"I'm too anxious to eat," I said, leading the way downstairs into the living room. We had a plan for a counter attack, but all it boiled down to was everyone would be on high alert for any sign of Katherine or Stefan. I sat on the couch with my back against the arm. "What if Isobel comes back to help Katherine?"

"Then she goes down with her," he said, sitting at the other end, lifting my legs so that they were resting across his lap.

I studied him while listening to the rain coming down hard outside. "When the time comes, do you think you can do it?" I asked quietly.

"What? Kill Katherine? Yes. Had she not abandoned me in the first place, my answer would be different, but as it is...I don't think it will be a problem."

"What about Stefan? I know you've been threatening to do it, but..."

He looked at me and I saw the reluctance in his eyes. "If I have to, I'll do it."

"Meaning...?"

"If he touches you, he's dead." His voice had a very cold tone to it, making me shiver. He patted my calves and offered a light smile that under different circumstances would have comforted me. "Have you considered the possibility that you might have to do the same?"

"I try not to," I mumbled and looked down. "I've never killed anyone before."

"Technically you wouldn't be killing anyone who hasn't already died. I know that you have the ring, but so do they and they will try everything to remove it from you. You need to prevent that from happening by any means possible."

"I don't want to, but I know that I can _if_ I have no other choice," I assured him, feeling a little confidence boost.

He nodded and checked his watch. "The plan is to get there before the guests. We should head out."

I sighed and got to my feet. "I hope she does come after us today. At least that way things can get back to normal."

He gave me a dull stare. "I kind of like the action. I end up doing bad things when I'm bored."

"I know," I said quietly, following him out to the garage. As he fished his keys from his pocket, I put my hand on his arm. He looked at my hand and then up at my face, waiting for me to explain myself. "Um, you should... Have you..." I groaned in frustration as I tried to ask the question on the tip of my tongue but it wouldn't come out.

A grin quirked at his lips as he watched me trip over my words, making even more flustered. "Are you offering?"

I looked around and started at him. "Unless you have people in the basement for this sort of thing, yeah, I'm offering. The last thing I need is for you to be hungry while trying to fight them off. I know she's older and stronger, so you'll need all the advantages you can get."

"Elena," he said, smiling at my babbling. "You don't have to tell me things I already know."

"Well?" I asked, gazing up at him.

"I'm beginning to think that you like it just as much as I do," he breathed as he returned his keys to his pocket.

"Maybe," I mumbled, praying that my cheeks wouldn't flush with color.

He didn't say anything else as he reached down to grab my hips, only to lift me enough so he could set me on the workbench in the garage. He wedged himself between my legs and used one hand to tip my head to the side, the other sweeping the hair away from my skin. I let my eyes close the moment his lips touched the curve of my neck. He continued to dust my skin with featherlight kisses, teasing me like only he could. My hands went to his back and pressed against him, drawing him in closer. His lips parted, extracting a small gasp from me, and I stilled at the feel of his fangs piercing my skin. At the first pull of blood, I mentally cursed him because he was right; I was beginning to like the blood exchange. My body relaxed the more he took and I began to feel lightheaded. He was taking more than I thought he would and by the time he lifted his head up I couldn't see straight. I blinked several times but everything still looked like through a kaleidoscope. My breathing was shallow and uneven while I waited for him to bite his wrist and bring it to my lips. I jumped at the metallic taste on my tongue, but after the first swallow, I began to drink it down hungrily. His blood sang through my veins, making my body come alive.

When he pulled his wrist away, I felt my face turn into a pout and opened my eyes to see him smiling. He leaned in and kissed me allowing me to taste our blood as it mixed together on my tongue. My legs locked around his waist and my hands slid up to dive into his hair. His hands glided up and down my torso, lingering over the sides of my breasts. He moved his head back slightly to stop the kiss and his hands trailed down my stomach until they were resting on my thighs. His tongue ran along the edges of my lips before he pulled back and did the same to his own. "We're going to be late," he breathed, his voice ragged.

My hands dropped from his hair to grip the edge of the bench on either side of me. "If we skip the funeral, there's a better chance of us not getting hurt."

His jaw tightened as he stared at me. "As much as I would love to stay here and continue, I know you would come to regret it if Katherine did show up and we weren't there to help."

I sighed and unlocked my legs from his waist, watching him as he stepped back and helped me off the bench. I was about to say something when his phone rang. He answered it and after a brief conversation returned it to his pocket. "Who was that?" I asked.

"Alaric. They're moving the service to the church because of the rain."

That was somewhat relieving to hear. "At least it won't be out in the open."

He nodded and opened the passenger door for me. He walked around to the driver's side and slid in behind the wheel before he spoke. "It should make it a little harder for any sneak attack."

"Alaric's bringing what we need?"

He nodded, backing out of the garage and into the pouring rain. "He's already supplied the Council with their items and he'll give us everything we'll need when we get there."

"I wonder if Mrs. Lockwood asked Tyler about his nature," I mused.

"My guess would be no."

I nodded, "It's not like Tyler was too happy about it to begin with. Hopefully she let him in on the plans because I think we could use his help."

He shook his head in disagreement. "Unless he's aware of his nature and has embraced it, he's useless to us."

"I thought you didn't know much about werewolves."

"I don't, but it's the same for a newborn vampire. It takes a long time for us to get into the habit of being what we are. Sometimes we're so blinded by blood lust that we can't think straight and we do horrific things that we wouldn't normally do."

"Is that what happened to you?" I asked lightly.

"Had I been with a mentor, things would have been different. Control is something that needs to be taught and most vampires don't live past their newborn stage because they lack it."

That was an overload of information all at once. "I never even thought of that."

"You can thank the mass media for that one," he returned and smiled in my direction. "They did a wonder with romanticizing vampirism. It's not all that glamorous."

"I always thought it was."

"Romantic or glamorous?" he asked, curiosity loud and clear in his voice.

I smirked and squirmed in my seat. "You tell me."

He narrowed his eyes at me before returning his focus to the road. A few minutes later, he parked behind the church where a few other cars belonging to Council members were already waiting. We hurried from the car to the door and made it without getting too wet. "There you are," Alaric said as he motioned for us to follow him to a secluded area. He unzipped his duffel bag and opened it up so we could see inside. "Jeremy's involved in this too even though I tried to talk him out of it."

I nodded slowly at that. "If his mind's already set on it, I guess I can't do anything about it. What do you have?" I asked, changing the subject.

"Vervain darts and stakes."

"That's it?" Damon asked, disappointment clear on his face.

"I have a pistol with wooden bullets," he said, looking at me.

"I've never fired a gun before," I admitted.

He nodded, "I figured that." He rummaged through the bag and pulled out a rather large vial full of liquid.

"What is that?" I asked.

"Vervain. It's a refill for the darts, but I think it would be better to have you drink it."

My jaw dropped as he held it out to me. "Um..."

"I agree with him, Elena. Katherine's going to try and get rid of you before anyone else. If you're gone, it's easier for her to get in."

"That doesn't mean she's going to drink from me. If anything, she'll just take the ring and kill me like she did last time." I took the vial and slid it into my pocket. "The ropes that Fredrick used on Stefan not too long ago had vervain on them right?" I asked Damon, getting a nod in response. "So it acts as an acid when in contact with the skin."

Alaric and Damon exchanged glances before inclining their heads. "Yeah, I guess that would work," Damon said, handing me a stake and a dart. I had worn boots just for this and tucked the stake into one and the dart into the other.

"You're not taking anything?"

"I like to be creative," he replied.

I took a deep breath and smiled grimly at Alaric. "Thank you," I said before returning to the main part of the church. Damon and I stood by the alter as we watched the guests make their entrance and take their seats. The Council was lined up around the perimeter watching everyone closely to make sure the right people came in. It wasn't until everyone was seated that I realized someone was missing. I turned to Damon in a panic and from the look in his eyes I could tell he had noticed it too.

"Bonnie," we said in unison and as I began to move, he held me in place. "Stay here, I'll alert John."

I watched him walk away and jumped at the draft I felt on my back. I turned to see the door had opened a crack. It wasn't uncommon because the building was one of the first ones that had been built all those decades ago. The door was original to the church, meaning it didn't seal properly, but it didn't cause enough trouble to be a priority fix. I turned to shut it, only to have it remain in place. I opened it a bit more to see what was preventing it from shutting only to come face-to-face with Isobel. She had her fangs out and moved with lightening speed as she pulled me out of the church before I could even yell for help.


	21. Chapter 21

**a/n: So...just take a deep breath and remember that you love me :)**

TWENTY-ONE

In the time that it took me to blink, Isobel sent me spiraling through the air and I landed backwards on the trunk of Damon's car. The impact was big enough for me to leave a dent and even as the world began to spin, I could only think of how angry he would be that his car had been damaged. By the time I could see straight, Isobel filled my vision as she loomed over me, her hands clutching my shirt to lift me up. I waited for her to do something, anything, other than just stare at me with her fangs out and eyes darkened in bloodlust. In less than a second, her fangs retracted, but she remained where she was. "You should have let the Salvatores die in the fire."

Her voice was icy, sending chills down my spine. "_You_ should have burned with the others."

Her eyes widened just a fraction before she smiled slightly and pulled me up by the front of my shirt. "That's no way to talk to your mother."

"You're not my mother," I snapped and managed to slam my fist into her side.

It caught her off guard just long enough to let go of my shirt. I turned to run, only to slam into Katherine. She had her hand around my throat and began to squeeze. My hands went to up to try and pry her fingers off of me. When my vision became hazy and I saw black spots, she threw me to the asphalt like a rag doll and placed a foot on my chest to keep me down. I didn't even bother to fight her off as I gasped for air and rubbed my throat. "I thought I told you to take her away from here," she said coldly, looking over me to Isobel.

"I just took her from the church," Isobel replied in the same tone.

"If she's too much trouble, kill her," Katherine suggested and pressed down on my chest to show she had the upper hand. She stepped back and smiled sweetly at me. "Take that ring off before you do," she added before she turned and walked back the way she came.

I rolled over onto my side, grabbing the vial from my pocket as I went. I took the top off and placed my thumb over the hole despite the fact that my nerves were beginning to get the best of me. She stood at my back and leaned forward to smile at me. "If you had taken the hint and walked away from them when your father and I told you to, none of this would be happening," she said, crouching down so she was more on my level.

Having Damon's blood in my system was giving me a better sense of my surroundings and I was very glad that she didn't seem to realize what I was preparing to do. As she moved her hand to my shoulder to roll me onto my back, I swung my legs as fast as I could in a makeshift roundhouse kick and knocked her down. I sat up on my knees and took my thumb off of the vial and dumped the vervain onto her face. She screamed and raised her arms up for cover and in a matter of seconds her face and her hands were covered in blisters to varying degrees. It made my stomach churn, but I got to my feet as fast as I could. "Elena!" Damon shouted from the back of the church.

"I got her! Katherine went to the front!" I yelled over the rain as it began to pick up.

He looked reluctant to do it, but I had already started running to the tree line behind the church. I looked over my shoulder to see Damon taking off and Isobel was in the process of healing and coming after me at the same time. I didn't know exactly what I was going to do, but my plan was to lead her away from the church and it seemed to be working. I dodged trees left and right, amazed at my ability to jump over the roots when necessary and somehow _not _to fall in the process. At least this far into the woods the rain wasn't as noticeable because of the vast amount of trees.

I heard a snarl from my right and as I turned to see what it was, something hit me and sent me flying into a tree. I groaned and pushed myself up onto hands and knees having fallen to my stomach. I turned my head to see a wolf stalking towards me, snapping and growling all the way. "Damn it Tyler!" I hissed and he lunged for me. I waited until the last second before I dropped back to my stomach and I heard a loud crack as he hit a tree. I rolled away as he slid down, knocked out cold but still in wolf form. "Sorry," I muttered.

"You will be," Isobel said from above me and lifted me to my feet.

I watched as the last bit of her face healed before my eyes and she rolled her shoulders in satisfaction. "You don't get a say over what happens in my life."

"Yes, I do. I always have, Elena," she snapped, letting go of me.

We both began to circle each other cautiously. I wasn't going to run, but I was planning on reaching for the dart in my boot soon. I shook my head, "You gave up that right when you gave me away."

"You had a much better life than I could have ever given you."

"It was a great life until you showed up." Her eyes hardened at that. "If you hate Stefan and Damon so much, why did you seek him out to turn you?" In order to work up the nerve to actually kill her, I needed to keep her talking.

"I don't have to explain my life to you."

"You had everything, including a loving husband who was there for you even after you left him. He dropped everything to find you, refusing to believe that you were dead."

Her eyes darkened and her jaw ticked with sadness and anger. It was the first time I had seen any sort of emotion from her other than hatred and cruelty. "Alaric was too good for me."

"Tell me something I don't know," I muttered.

That angered her even more, her eyes hardened to ice, throwing daggers in my direction. "A man like that would have never married a woman who had a child before her sixteenth birthday."

"So you figured you would end your guilty conscious by turning into a vampire?" I asked. "That was a stupid plan." She stilled to the point where she looked like a statue before her face took on the cruel yet playful look it was accustomed to. "Shutting off your humanity doesn't make the guilt go away."

"What do you know about it?" she snapped, her smile draining away.

"I know enough," I said, catching movement from the corner of my eye, signaling that Tyler was coming out of his current state of unawareness.

She shook her head, drawing my attention back to her. "Wrong answer, Elena," she said softly and I saw her body tense a split second before she lunged in my direction. For some reason, she hadn't attacked using her increased speed, giving me the opportunity to duck and grab the dart out of my boot. She looped an arm around my waist and forced me to the ground before getting on top of me. I went to stab her in the side when I had a clear shot, but blinked in surprise as my hand turned up empty when I hit her. Before I could figure out what happened, I gasped at a sharp pain in my stomach. She slid back and rested her hands on her thighs, looking down at me with surprise in her eyes. "You should have just stayed away," she breathed before leaning in to take my hand. She removed my ring and set it just inches out of my reach.

I continued to gasp for air, crying out in pain when she removed the dart and positioned it over my heart. I felt the sharp tip pressing against me and my head began spinning. If she pushed down, I would only come back as a vampire thanks to Damon. She picked up on the fact that I wasn't as scared for my life as I should have been and my body turned to jelly as she began to lift the dart away from my body. Something caught my attention and I looked up just in time to see Stefan coming at her with a stake. "No!" I yelled, but it was too late.

The dart dropped next to my shoulder as Isobel's skin began to turn an ashen grey. Her body became rigid, her face a mask of surprise and horror as she slowly fell on top of me. In a matter of seconds, she was dead and her corpse pinned me to the ground, applying pressure to my already aching body. Stefan pushed her off of me and jumped back as I grabbed the dart and aimed it at him having pulled myself up into a sitting position. It was empty now, in my system, but he didn't know that. "Elena," he whispered in what sounded like a plea.

I reached for the ring and slid it onto my finger. I felt it when the wound began to heal itself and pulled myself to my feet to face him. "You killed her," I breathed. My entire body was on its last nerve, trying to hold myself together. "You _killed _her," I repeated, taking a shaky step forward.

He held his hands up in surrender. "She was going to kill you."

The dart dropped from my hands due to my trembling body. "I thought you were on the same side? Katherine's side," I spat.

He shook his head and ventured a step forward. "I don't want you dead!"

"If that were true, you wouldn't have left me!" I fired back, using every last bit of energy to remain standing. "Especially not to be with _her_."

"I left to protect you."

"What?" My heart thundered in my chest, filling my ears along with the rain that filtered through the trees.

"She came to me, said that she was here for me; that I had been her choice all along and you had run off with Damon. I knew that wasn't true, but she would have killed me if I didn't go along with her game. I came to the hospital and yes, I was a little shocked to see you with Damon, but I was so relieved to see you were alright."

I shook my head rapidly, a tear sliding down my cheek. "No..."

"I was counting on Damon's feelings for you so that he would stay close and protect you. He's stronger than I am and he knows how she thinks better than I do," he admitted, hanging his head.

"Why didn't you just tell me this at the hospital!" I raged.

He looked up at me, at a complete loss for words. He shook his head once or twice and took another step forward. "I know I should have, but I'm telling you the truth. I don't love Katherine. Elena, I love you."

My legs buckled and he shot forward to grab me. He held me to him tightly, showering my face with light, barely there kisses. He whispered small reassurances that didn't quite reach my ears before his lips found mine. All the background noises fell silent, the only thing I could focus on was Stefan and his kiss. I closed my eyes against tears that cascaded down my cheeks to wet our lips. It felt wrong and my heart raced as I realized why. It wasn't the first time this realization had occured, but it renewed it, making it stronger and more real. I shoved him away and he stumbled back in surprise. All the weakness in my body vanished and I felt stronger than I had since Founder's Day when this whole mess had started. "I don't love you Stefan, not anymore. Things have changed."

His jaw dropped as he studied me. "Elena, what-"

I reached into my other boot and pulled out the stake. I stared at him and dropped it to my feet. "Did you sleep with her?" His jaw snapped shut and his eyes hardened with shame. I nodded and felt a sense of calm over the fact that his unspoken answer didn't affect me the way I had imagined it would. "Do yourself a favor and get out of my sight before I change my mind and lodge that stake in your heart."

"I needed her to believe me so she wouldn't go after you!"

"It's nice to know that you couldn't trust me to be around your brother, but you can run back to your ex and do whatever you please with her. I mean it Stefan," I said sternly and glared at him. "I never want to see you again, hear your voice, or you name. If I do, I will make sure it's the last time. Understand?" I said coldly.

His eyes burned and his body was rigid as my eyes lingered on him for a moment before I turned my back to him. The wolf was no longer by the tree, nor was Tyler's body, making my half-run back to the church a cautious one. I felt a weight being lifted off my shoulders when I realized Stefan wasn't coming after me as I thought he would. As I approached the back lawn of the church, I noticed the small gathering of the Council members, but no sign of Damon. "Thank God," Alaric said, pulling me to him in a bear hug.

"Is it over?" I asked, my words sounding muffled against his soaked shirt.

He released me and nodded. "John and Damon found Katherine in front of the church, compelling Bonnie to do some sort of fire spell to burn it down despite the rain. John shot Bonnie with a dart and it killed Katherine's sway over her. The three of them took her down."

"Isobel's dead," I said flatly.

He bit his lip, but nodded. "Stefan?"

"I couldn't do it," I admitted. "But I told him I never wanted to see him again," I added and peered around him to see a few Council members doting over a passed out Tyler.

"He appeared here like this. I'm assuming he changed," Alaric said and I confirmed it with a nod.

I looked around and then back at him. "Where is Damon?"

"John took Bonnie home and I thought Damon went to find you."

My eyes widened in fear. "When?"

"A few minutes ago. He said he was going to get you and took off in the direction you just came from."

"He wasn't there," I breathed. "Can you take me to the boarding house? Now?"

He nodded and we took off to his car parked somewhere out front. I drummed my fingers on my lap while Alaric raced through the rain to get me there as fast as he could. I racked my brain trying to remember if I had seen Damon's car at the church before getting into Alaric's. I used his phone to call Damon, but it went straight to voicemail each time. Alaric had barely come to a stop by the time I was halfway out of the car. "Elena!"

"Wait here!" I shouted before slamming his door and racing up the front porch, bursting through the door. "Damon?" I called out, listening for any sign of movement. I checked the main rooms downstairs before running upstairs and throwing open his door. "Damon?" I called again and stopped dead in my tracks at the sight of his bed.

I took small steps, feeling lightheaded as I got closer. There was a note on the bedspread. My hands trembled as I picked it up and read it. _I'm sorry, -D_. I read it over and over again, hoping more words would magically appear. I turned and sat on the edge of the bed, staring at the empty space above the note in my hands, jumping as a tear hit the paper. I let it slip out of my hands and I looked up to the bathroom. My things were stacked neatly by the entrance and I took only a few steps towards them to realize his closet was bare.

Everything was gone.

Damon was gone.

For the first time since I had met him, he lied to me. He had given me a speech on how he would never leave and yet he was gone. I was never going to get to tell him how I felt for him.

I had gone from having both Salvatores to neither; just like Katherine.

I wiped a tear from my face and straightened up. It was his choice and I refused to cry over it. With that, I grabbed my things, and headed back to Alaric's car, forcing myself not to look back.


	22. Chapter 22

TWENTY-TWO

My head was resting on the edge of the bed while my feet were propped up on the headboard. I stared at the ceiling, making shapes out of the stucco while the music from my headphones blared into my ears. My hands were atop my stomach, absently playing with my ring; the only reminder of that night. I sighed, shoving those thoughts away and refocused on the lyrics that filled my ear canal. As I began to zone out again, my phone vibrated against my hip. I ignored it for as long as I could, but it kept going off. Whoever it was, it must have been important. My hand slid down to my pocket and I read the message from Bonnie. _I'm sorry._

_For?_ I typed back, mildly curious.

_You'll see_, she replied and I rolled my eyes instead of messaging her back, slipping the phone back into my pocket.

I shifted to get comfortable again and closed my eyes once more. This time it was much easier to get lost in the music and tune out the world around me. My breathing was deep and even; my body completely relaxed. As something touched my shoulder, my eyes snapped open and I sat up faster than I ever had before. My head collided with someone else's causing my hand to go immediately to my forehead. I pulled out my headphones and stared at Lucy, an acquaintance from some of my classes, who was wiping blood from her nose. "I'm sorry!" she mumbled behind her fingers. "I thought you were sleeping!" She tipped her head back and headed out of my room for the bathroom.

"It's okay Luce," I assured her and followed her to help her. Bonnie stopped in the hallway outside her bedroom door. "I didn't know she was going straight to your room."

"I knocked!" she said loudly, shoving toilet paper up her nostril to stop the flow of blood. She sat on the closed toilet seat and smiled at me, keeping her face tilted upwards. "Anyway, Bonnie said it's your birthday."

My head whirled around to give her an astonished expression. She shrugged, "I said I was sorry," she whispered, leaning against the linen closet just outside the bathroom door.

"So we're going out to celebrate," Lucy concluded, pulling the tissue from her nose and throwing it away. She got up and washed the excess blood from her skin. "I'm appalled that I've known you for three years and I'm just now finding out about your birthday."

"It's not something I celebrate," I said darkly, earning a look of sympathy from Bonnie.

"Why not?" Lucy asked, shutting off the light, forcing us out of her way before we ventured to the living room.

I shook my head and smiled lightly. "I don't want to talk about it," I answered, perching on the arm of the couch.

"Well, whatever the reason is, it's your twenty-first birthday _and_ it's a Saturday night. There's no way in hell that I'm letting you stay home."

I sighed, when she was in this sort of mood there was no getting her to change her mind. I simply nodded. "Alright, we'll go out."

"Fantastic!" she screeched causing Bonnie and I both to wince. "I'll swing by around eight to get you," she added and headed for the door.

"Where are we going?"

"You'll see when we get there," she sang and shut the door behind her. Bonnie and I exchanged the same look and jumped when the door opened again. "You better dress up," she added and left again.

"You told her?" I asked once I was sure Lucy wasn't coming back.

"She found me in the library and asked what my plans were and the words were out there before I realized what I said. I'm really sorry, I know you like to be alone, but maybe this could be good for you. It's been four years..." her voice tapered off and she offered a small smile before coming to put her arm around my shoulders. "It's been a long time and I hate seeing you this way. You know you can talk to me right?"

"I've been trying all day not to think about it," I said quietly before moving out of her grasp and into my room. I paced in front of my bed with my phone in my hand ready to call Lucy and cancel on her. I stopped moving and tossed my phone onto my bed, cursing Bonnie as I did. She was right; four years had gone by and it was time to move on. What made it worse was that the incident at Mayor Lockwood's funeral had been a week before my seventeenth birthday. Of course I hadn't felt like celebrating that year and my mood kept getting worse and worse as time went on. Junior year I cut everyone out of my life except for Bonnie because she was the only one I could talk to. Even then I had trouble voicing my feelings to her. My life had changed so rapidly in the course of a week that I wasn't sure who I was anymore.

After high school, I decided to move to the west coast and go to Arizona State University. Bonnie came with me and I was grateful for it. I was sure I would have dropped out a long time ago if she hadn't been there with me. Lucy was the only other person I let into my life. She didn't know about my past other than something tragic had happened and I didn't want to talk about it. She reminded me of Caroline; full of life and always needed to be in control of the situation. She always invited me to parties or out on group dates, but I mostly turned her down unless it was just her, Bonnie, and me. I looked down at the ring on my finger and my heart felt heavy. It was still healing after all these years, but it was time to start speeding up the process.

I took a deep breath and headed back into the living room to find it empty. I knocked on Bonnie's bedroom door and pushed it open gently. "I'm sorry, that was rude. I know you're here when I need you."

She smiled and nodded at me. "Are we going out?"

"You're right, it's time to move on," I said with a grin before going back to my room to get ready. I stood in front of my closet and stared at the contents before making a selection. It took me seven different outfits to finally settle on a black halter dress with an empire waist and an ice blue belt to go with it. I spent the majority of my time doing my hair, making it curl perfectly down my back. My make-up was simple yet elegant before I picked out accessories. When it was time for the shoes, I had to stand in front of my closet again.

"Elena?" Bonnie called as she knocked and then came in. "You look gorgeous," she breathed, our eyes meeting in the mirror.

"Thanks, you look great too," I said. "I can't decide on shoes. Help?" I asked and she moved to stand beside me.

She looked at my dress and then back at my collection of shoes before reaching for a pair of black boots. "Those should work."

"That's what I was thinking," I said and sat on the edge of my bed to put them on. I stood up and looked down with approval. The heels weren't outrageously high but weren't too low either; perfect for just going out with the girls.

Just as I grabbed my phone from the bed, it rang, displaying Lucy's number. "Do I have to come up there and kidnap you?" she asked.

"Nope, we're ready. We'll be right down," I assured her and hung up, offering my arm to Bonnie. She linked her arm with mine and we headed out the door of our apartment. I slid into the front seat next to Lucy and narrowed my eyes at her. "One mention about a set up with some random guy and I'm leaving. Understood?"

"Message received, loud and clear," she said and sped off. "But keep in mind I can't be held accountable for what I do when I'm drunk. Bonnie, would you mind be the designated driver?"

"I was planning on it," she said from the back. She had turned twenty-one almost four months ago, bought a bottle of liquor for the two of us, and that was it. That brought me to wonder if I could get drunk wearing the ring since I hadn't had much to drink that night. I didn't want to risk misplacing it to find out.

We ended up at a somewhat upscale dance club with a huge dance floor and a bar that lined two walls. "I'll get us the first round, then we can dance!" Lucy shouted over the music.

I scanned the crowd, looking at nothing in particular when I got the feeling that someone was watching me. I looked around carefully but came up with nothing. I shook that feeling aside when Lucy returned. She raised her shot glass. "Happy Birthday!" Bonnie toasted and we clinked our glasses together before downing the contents. With that, we headed out to the dance floor.

In the space of an hour, Lucy had taken double the amount of shots that I had and was beyond tipsy. She could handle her alcohol pretty well though, to give her some credit. Bonnie and I exited the dance floor to catch our breath while Lucy went to the bathroom. I moved to stand closer to her so I didn't have to shout as loud. "Someone's watching me."

"Are you sure?"

I nodded, "I've been feeling it since we got here."

She pulled away to look at me for a moment. Before she could say anything else, Lucy was headed back to us. "That was fast!" Bonnie shouted to her.

"There is a guy at the bar who is ogling you and if you don't go up to him right now, I'm so going to slap you!" she yelled back.

She half turned to point him out to me and my heart stopped in my chest. The distance between the two of us disappeared and it felt as though I were standing right in front of him. Four years worth of emotions came bubbling to the surface as I tore my eyes from him and looked at Bonnie with alarm. "Go."

I shook my head. "He doesn't want anything to do with me."

She grabbed my shoulders and gave me a gentle push in his direction. He had already turned his back to me as he sat at the bar. "Go or you'll never forgive yourself," she hissed in my ear and gave me another shove.

I took a deep breath and began moving across the room to take the empty barstool next to him. My heart raced and my throat was tight, but I forced myself to speak. "You have some nerve coming here," I said in a normal voice, knowing he could hear me.

"I didn't even know that you were here," he said, finishing his drink before turning to me. "Where's Stefan?"

"How should I know?"

An array of emotions passed through his eyes at a speed almost too fast for me to catch up with but I saw all of them. "You're not together?"

I narrowed my eyes in confusion. Why was he so baffled? "You were there when he broke up with me." The look on his face confirmed my suspicions; he had seen Stefan kiss me and took it the wrong way.

"I thought-"

"You thought wrong," I interrupted. "I told him to leave and never come back."

"You did?"

I nodded. "I told you I was over him and the moment he kissed me I realized that the love I felt for him was gone too." He reached for my hand and held it in both of his. I pulled back and stood up. "You abandoned me, making me feel the way you did when Katherine abandoned you," I breathed and took off for the bathroom before he could see the tears welling up in my eyes.

By the time I made it to the sink, he was already behind me. I stared at his reflection, keeping my back to him. "I killed her." His voice was tight and his body went rigid beneath his clothes. "I know I said I would have no problem doing it, but it took everything I had in me to do it. When I saw her using Bonnie to do her dirty work, I saw a bit of myself in her. When I saw you with Stefan I knew I would never be good enough for you. Elena, I am not a good person."

I turned to face him and shook my head. "You're a horrible person. A killer, a liar, a cheat. You're not even a person." He looked defeated and I couldn't blame him. "But that didn't stop me from falling in love with you."

Whatever he had been prepared to say escaped him upon hearing what I had to say. He studied me for a long time without a trace of emotion in those steel blue eyes. I waited for him to say something, anything to mention that he still loved me, even after all this time. My heart rate increased and my breathing became shallow. I didn't know how much more I could take of him staring at me. Every second that passed by added a spark of tension to the air; desire coursing through me. "You love me?" His voice sounded strangled and full of disbelief. I wanted to answer him, but my throat was too dry to even attempt speaking. My tongue absently darted out to wet my lips as I nodded my response. "You love me," he repeated, trying to process the words. He shook his head just a little and refocused his eyes on me, taking half a step closer to me. "Why the hell didn't you tell me this sooner?"

"It never seemed like a good time. Everything happened so fast I barely had time to process one incident before another came along." I took a deep breath and looked down. "Every time I tried to tell you, I found myself thinking of Katherine and I was so determined to not be like her that I kept my feelings to myself."

"You're not like her," he said in a stern tone, not liking the fact that he had to say that for the hundredth time.

I raised my eyes back to his and let my lips curve into the faintest smile. "Maybe not completely, but in some ways I am," I stated and widened my smile. "But I don't care anymore." His brow quirked up and he risked another step forward. I reached out and laced my fingers with his. "I'm not letting you go again."

He shook his head fervently. "I'm not going anywhere," he assured me.

In the blink of an eye, I was pinned against the wall, his front pressing tightly against mine. He raised our hands up, the back of mine touching the wall as he applied a bit of pressure. His lips came down to meet mine, delivering a kiss that I returned with equal force. He released my hands and I let them fall to his shoulders, gripping his shirt tightly. He reached down and lifted me up so I could lock my legs around his waist. My dress slid up to reveal almost all of my thighs, granting him easy access as he ran his hands over them. I felt my hips flex at his actions and I groaned in frustration as his hands never went any farther than the hem of my dress. He smirked into the kiss before sliding his hands up my torso to cup my breasts through the material of the dress. My body began to tremble; I wanted his touch, craved it, ached for it. However, a bathroom in a bar wasn't the right place.

"Not here," I managed to get out without really breaking the kiss. He shifted, getting so close to me that I could feel his arousal pressing against my core. It sent a shudder of want through me and I kissed him harder. "Damon," I moaned, getting an animalistic growl from him in response.

Reluctantly, he broke the kiss. My hands lay flat on his shoulders as I waited for my breathing to slow down before I unhooked my legs and put my feet on the ground. "Where?" he asked in a husky voice.

"My place is close," I returned. He took my hand in his and we raced from the bathroom, through the crowd, and out to the parking lot. His car was there meaning he had come back to Mystic Falls sometime to get it. The dent I had caused when Isobel threw me onto it was long gone. Before he could open the passenger door for me, I shoved him against the car before reaching up and bringing his lips down to mine for another kiss. I let one of my hands drop to his chest and slowly began to move downwards until I was cupping him. "I want you," I breathed.

To my surprise, he shuddered, cupping my face only to pull it away. "Get in the car."

His broken voice made me smirk with satisfaction. I stepped back and got into the car while he slid in behind the wheel and began to drive. I moved as close to him as I could get and turned so I could nip at his ear while I whispered the directions to him. I contemplated teasing him even further, but his driving was erratic enough as it was so I kept my hands to myself. I told him where he could park once we drove up to my apartment building and the instant he shut off the car, he reached over and drew me across his lap. I inhaled sharply and laughed at the feel of the steering wheel pressing against my lower back. My laughter died in my throat as he sank his hands into my hair and pulled me close for another searing kiss. At this rate, we were never going to make it upstairs. My hips ground against him as his rose up in mock thrusts.

He ran a hand up my stomach and cupped one of my breasts before his hand pushed the material aside to expose the hardened nipple. He let out another growl at the lack of a bra, and dipped his head to sample my skin. I sat up as straight as I could, my fingers combing through his hair. I groaned his name as he slid his other hand up my thigh and brushed over the outside of my panties. I inhaled sharply as he moved the cotton and touched me for the first time where I craved him most. My hips automatically moved towards his hand and his finger slid into me with ease, his thumb teasing my clit. His mouth moved from my breast, kissing his way back up to reclaim my lips. My eyes squeezed shut as my body began to shake from the oncoming release. His lips left mine once again, kissing that spot on my neck just behind my jaw. His lips parted and I felt the sweep of his tongue. My hands fell from his hair to his shoulders where I held onto him. I took another sharp breath in, anticipating both my release and his fangs on my flesh at the same moment, but instead, I felt him pull away.

I opened my eyes to scowl at him only to find that trademark smirk on his face. "Payback for the car ride," he growled and reached to the side to open the door.

After we had managed to get out of the car, I grabbed his hand and led him to my building. The moment we got inside, he picked me up and used his speed to climb the stairs to my apartment. We stopped at the door and I realized I had no clue where my purse was. Damon thrust it into my hand and turned me towards the door. As I searched for my keys, he swept the hair away from one side of my neck and kissed me, making it that much harder to find them. Once I managed to grasp them, I hurried to get the key in the lock and once the door was open, I stepped inside. I turned around when Damon wasn't behind me only to see him impatiently waiting for his invitation.

I smiled at him as I flung my purse onto the couch. "Bonnie?" I called out, earning a confused look from Damon.

"She's not here. Let me in," he demanded.

I approached the door, making sure to stay completely out of his reach and tipped my head to the side. "Maybe I don't want to let you in."

His jaw ticked, the edges of his eyes giving signs of the change. "Elena," his voice was strangled almost beyond recognition.

"I will let you in on one condition."

"Name it."

I smirked again, this was too easy, but I was torturing myself in the process by making him wait. "You'll still be here in the morning."

His eyes were burning with mock hate as he stared at me. "You're kidding me right?"

I moved to grab the door and rose my brows at him. "Your call."

"I'm going to be there in the morning," he vowed. "And every morning after that for the rest of your life if you'll let me."

I stopped moving and the smirk was wiped from my face. I wasn't expecting him to say anything remotely close to that. I nodded absently, "Get in here," I demanded softly and faster than I could blink, I was in his arms again as he carried me down the hall to my bedroom. It was a little eerie that he knew which room was mine, but I figured it had to do with my scent and left it alone.

"How much does this dress mean to you?" he asked, never breaking the kiss.

"What dress?" I returned playfully and heard a ripping sound before the words had even fully left my lips. I grabbed the collar of his shirt and began undoing the buttons while his hands ran up and down my back, making me begin to tremble even more. When I had his shirt completely unbuttoned, I placed my hands on his hips and began to slide them upwards until I was able to push the shirt off of his shoulders. The moment the shirt hit the ground behind him, he picked me up and set me down on the bed, climbing on top of me. His mouth moved down my body, planting strategic kisses as he went. I never imagined that my body could feel this way and right now it was on fire. Every nerve was raw and ready to explode at any given moment.

He moved off of the bed, kneeling in front of me so he could take my boots off. Once he had set them aside, he began kissing his way up my calves, my thighs, and my hips; purposefully avoiding my nether regions as he worked off my underwear with his teeth. Before I even had time to get mad at him, he stood up to finish undressing himself, moved me to the middle of the bed, and was hovering above me again. I wrapped my legs around his waist, sunk my fingers into his hair, and pulled his head down so I could kiss him. He reached down between us and guided himself inside of me. We moaned at the same time; both of us had been waiting for this moment for a very long time. This was much better than any fantasy I had ever had about him.

My back arched to accept more of him and my hips met his rhythm evenly. Since he had brought me so close to my release in the car, I could already feel it coming back. I pulled my lips away from his to grind my head against the pillow. He turned his attention to the curve of my neck and I could feel his fangs, sharp and insistent on my flesh. My hands drifted down to his back where I scraped it with my nails. "Damon..." I moaned, giving him all the encouragement he needed. His fangs slid into my skin the moment I felt my release, making it that much more intense. I called his name more than once until I felt him come with me. We rode out our orgasm together before he detached his fangs and collapsed on top of me. In that moment I envied him since I was trying to catch my breath and he was just fine. His tongue darted out to lap up the excess blood that had spilled onto my skin.

"You, my darling, were well worth the wait," he whispered having moved his lips to my ear before nuzzling my cheek with his.

"We didn't have to wait," I returned and he playfully nipped at my skin. He moved to lie on his back, arms tucked behind his head. I rolled onto my stomach next to him with my chin resting in my hands. I was feeling a little lightheaded from the blood loss, but the ring was due to kick in any moment. "We need to talk."

"I'm not done with you yet."

I grinned. "I know, but we're getting this out of the way now."

"Ah, you're testing me," he said and winked. "Carry on."

I rolled my eyes. "It's about you being..." For whatever reason, I couldn't say the word out loud without resisting the urge to laugh.

"A vampire?" he supplied.

I nodded. "I don't know if I can, or want to, give up my life."

"As I said before, you would make an excellent vampire," he said, staring up at the ceiling as he lived out some sort of fantasy in his head.

I smiled at that. "It's just not something I ever considered when I was-" I stopped before I said Stefan's name and bit my bottom lip. "It's just not something I considered," I concluded.

He brought one arm out from behind his head and put his hand on my shoulder, massaging it lightly. "The choice is yours Elena. All you have to do is say the word. Until then, we can take this one day at a time. I made a promise to you once that I would never leave and I broke it. I have many years of making up to do. Like I said, I will be here with you for as long as you'll let me be in your life. The one regret that I have after all these years of living was leaving you and I won't put either of us through that again. I love you, Elena."

I smiled at him, tears of bliss clouding my vision. I moved to hook one leg over him and pulled myself up to straddle him completely. I leaned down and kissed him deeply. "I love you too Damon," I breathed and reached down to guide him into me once more. I looked down at him and smiled.

Finally, we had found each other and I definitely had no intention of letting him get away from me again.

* * *

**a/n: alright, this is the end of Love Never Dies. I want to thank everyone for reading, reviewing, and favoriting this! Especially Zoraya Windwalker for being my beta and Alex Bee for suggesting the plot! I had a blast writing this! I know it took forever for Delena to be together, but it worked out in the end. There will not be a sequel to this one...however, I am writing another D/E story. So if you want, keep a lookout because it'll be coming out soon :)**


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